Mark of Royalty
by WhiteKingdomAngel
Summary: AU. As a convoy of warriors arrive in Camelot; requesting free reign to continue to hunt a terrible beast, secrets will be revealed in the most shocking of ways. They say that the beast came to Camelot for a reason. And why is Merlin acting so nervous?
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing! (except my oc characters...)_**

_Me: Well! Here it is! My first AU!_

_Arthur: Why? Why must you do this? Your are going to drive yourself insane with all the work you're putting on yourself and then __**I**__ will suffer for it!_

_Merlin: *glares* You mean __**we**__ will suffer right?_

_Arthur: *rolls eyes* Yeah yeah yeah! You too… *walks away fro the screen*_

_Merlin: *mutters* Thank you sooo much for that… *follows*_

_Me: In any case. For the comic version of the story, I will post a link on the next chapter! Hopefully I can draw as fast as I write!_

_Me: *blinks* Uhm… Enjoy!_

**_EDIT: THIS IS AN IMPROVE VERSION OF THE CHAPTER! PLEASE FEEL FREE TO RE READ AND COMMENT ON THE IMPROVEMENTS! THANK YOU! 8D_**

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The air was frigid and still as the midnight frost dusted itself upon the forest. The silver flicker of the moon's rays, peeking behind the clouds, shone upon the land as a flock of birds fled into the horizon, hoping to escape the horrible beast. Dark tendrils emanated from the few trees its claws touched, leaving scorched and deadened marks upon the once healthy bark. The grass on the floor became brown as its paws stepped upon it. Behind the bushes, you could almost see the gleam of sickening, yellowed fangs protruding from its snout as its saliva sizzled and dripped to the ground.

A few paces behind it, the sound of metal scraping against metal could be heard as a group dodged branches and vines, always keeping the beast in sight. The group was composed of five warriors. Heading the group was a slender woman with chestnut hair, dressed comfortably for running and holding a long strip of chain; at its tips were two identical short blades, intricately decorated. Tendrils of vines ran thinly from its silvery tips and finished in a thick connection of weaves and leaves. Her eyes were set upon her target, not realizing how far ahead it was. The second in the group followed right behind her. He was a tall, muscular man, his armor shining in the moonlight as he held his blade aloft. He turned his head towards the rest, his golden bangs fluttering in the air.

"Come on!" He screamed "It's getting away!" The others immediately sped up, not wanting to slow down their superiors. But even more importantly, they couldn't fail in their hunt. They remained in the chase for a few more minutes until they arrived at a great clearing. The woman stopped suddenly and extended her hand to signal the others to do so as well.

"Halt!" She exclaimed as the others quickly stopped in their tracks. They could see the dark tendrils of the beast's wake quickly making their way deeper into the forest and away from the party.

The blond warrior stepped forward and placed a hand upon her shoulder. "What is it? It's getting away!" He exclaimed, worried that they were going to fail.

But the woman simply turned to look at the others. "Do you not see where that thing has led us to?" Seeing their confusion, the woman simply stretched a hand and pointed at the distance, "Camelot's kingdom starts beyond that grove of trees." At this, everyone's eyes widened in shock. They did not realize how far they had traveled since they began the hunt.

The blond one stepped closer and asked, "Are you sure?"

The woman nodded in reply, "Absolutely." As she stated this, she began to gather her chain, smiling silently that the blond warrior was sheathing his sword. "We will need to seek council with their king to continue with the hunt."

A small mutter amongst the warriors rose before one stepped forward. "But ma'am," he interjected, "the beast might get too far away by the time we get the king's consent."

The woman gave a deep sigh as she stared at the sky. "Our king made it clear that we are not to risk angering any kingdom the beast takes us to." As she said this, she allowed herself a small smile. "Besides… The beast will remain within Camelot's borders until it finds what it seeks. After all, this is where our prince resides, the same prince who almost defeated it those many years ago." Everyone smiled cheerfully as the thought of their lost prince returned to their minds.

The woman stood before them and looked upon them with pride. "This is where we will make our final stand," she exclaimed. "Our kingdom has suffered long enough by the claws of the wretched beast! And it is time to bring our prince back to his rightful place beside his father and his kingdom!"

The sound of cheering filled the air as they thought of their prince finally returning to them. Once they subsided they began to set up camp, leaving the blond warrior and the woman alone with their thoughts. They sat beside one another; the woman gave out a big sigh and leaned towards the blond warrior.

"I can't believe it," he whispered softly as he felt her lean into him, clearly tired from the day's hunt. "After so many years, we're finally going to see our prince once again."

He felt her nodding in reply, "Yes. We were lucky to have found the prince's keeper, and even more so to have her inform us that our prince has set out to live inside of Camelot." After this, they remained huddled together for a few minutes. They looked upon the others, knowing they were going to need help any minute. Standing up, the blond warrior offered a hand to the woman, who took it gladly.

As they began to set up their padding near the fire, the blond warrior heard the woman exclaim softly, "Six years…I can't believe it's been six years since the attack… I wonder if he suffered much hardship, or if he kept himself fed. You know how skinny he always was."

The blond warrior couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face at the woman's concern. She always had a soft side for their prince, acting almost maternally for the motherless. When they both sat back down, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulders, shielding her from the biting cold of the evening.

"Oh, I'm sure that our prince has kept himself safe and healthy. He wouldn't dare not to. Not if there was ever a chance of us returning for him." He explained as he faced her, his blue eyes mirroring her hazel gold. Leaning forward, he placed a brief kiss upon her lips. "He knows not to cross you, love." He gave her a playful smile, and she huddle closer. "Besides, he was always tougher than he looked, you know that."

"Yes…" she said, reminiscing of the great fight all those years ago. How the prince amassed a small contingency of warriors and almost put a stop to the overtaking of his kingdom. Not wanting to dwell in those dark memories, she turned the conversation to a happier time.

"Do you remember how he was always in the lower towns?" she asked and by the smirk that appeared on his face she knew he was remembering it too. "He was always sneaking small bits of his allowance and giving it to those who most needed it. The prince thought that he was being so sneaky, but the king knew what he was doing almost as soon as he started. I remember he would always give the prince a look of adoration and awe at dinnertime. The prince was so confused." The two shared a brief bout of laugher, remembering a better time, not noticing the others were smiling at their story as well.

As they calmed themselves, the blond warrior straightened himself and extended his hand forward, muttering a few ancient words. His eyes shone golden as a small swirl of wind appeared in front of them. Soon, the air disappeared leaving behind a medium size crate. The others immediately went to secure the crate, for they knew what was inside was extremely valuable.

"The people loved him," the blond warrior stated. "And the people will continue to love him once he returns to his kingdom." At this, both warrior and woman leaned back to rest on the ground, willing the sun to come quickly.

"A new dawn approaches our kingdom. The news of our lord's safety is proof of it," he murmured, leaning in to kiss her deeply.

She leaned on top of his chest and closed her eyes. She dreamt of a brilliant future and hope growing back into the kingdom. She dreamt of darkness and blood and tears and sickness. But all that was erased by a lone figure in the distance, holding a hand towards her with a familiar gentle smile, and she knew that he would return to them and end the darkness.

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_Me: Reviews are welcome! :D_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing..._**

_Arthur&Merlin: *holding identical bags of ice to their heads* *groaning in pain*_

_Me: *tapping my foot with my arms crossed* *glaring* __**Now**__ do you see why we don't accept pies from mysterious strangers?_

_Arthur&Merlin: *looking sheepish* Yes…_

_Me: *sighs* Honestly, if I hadn't found an antidote and a sorceress willing to bring me back to life, you two would still be under the effects of the potion in those pies…_

_Merlin: We're sorry. Really, we are! But she roped us into it! _

_Me: *glares*_

_Arthur: *wide eyed* Honest!_

_Me: *sighs in defeat* Oh, I really can't blame you two. She has an evil aura around herself that makes people trust her… *turns to the mob*_

_And this goes to every one of my readers! If someone named __**'**__**Angie's Master**__**' **__sends you a message, giving you a means to torture me in the real world __**DO NOT TRUST HER! **_

_**She is EVIL! She will trick you into a false sense of security and then BAM! She will have you in her clutches and you'll become her slave! **_

_Me: *nervous* And… Whatever she says, she does __**not**__ have means to induce bouts of pain to convince or persuade me to write faster… *shifty eyes* I mean… the only way that could happen is if I knew her in real life… Y-yeah right! As if __**she**__ knew me in the flesh. Hahahahahaha…_

_Arthur&Merlin: *raises eyebrows*_

_Me: *shifty eyes* In __**any case!**__ I've decided that I really have no real reason to hold the chapters to post the illustrations when I have the entire story almost written, so here is what I'm going to do. _

_I will continue to update as fast as I can and I'll draw the chapters as I go along. Hopefully I can catch up with the written story._

_Oh! And here is some unrelated news! I finally finished the html coding for my website! If you want to check it out, go to www . whiteangeldesigns. com _

_I wanted to give it my name but apparently someone else got the rights to it… *mumbles incoherently* _

_Anyway. Enjoy!_

**_EDIT: THIS IS AN IMPROVE VERSION OF THE CHAPTER! PLEASE FEEL FREE TO RE READ AND COMMENT ON THE IMPROVEMENTS! THANK YOU! 8D_**

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The morning sun rose high in the sky, the citizens of Camelot started to get ready for work. Inside the castle, the servants were already buzzing about, making sure they had everything ready for the day's activities. The kitchen staff began preparing the morning meals for the lords and ladies of the court. The servants around the castle began opening the windows and doors, letting the sunlight shower the castle's rooms. Back in the physician's quarters, Gaius started arranging the many different vials and concoctions to clear up the main table as he set breakfast, unknowingly humming an old song of his youth. Inside the chamber in the back, our young warlock's prone body began to shift as the sunlight struck his face.

Bleary eyes opened slightly as he began to gain focus. Merlin sat up, his bed creaking in complaint. His hair, slightly ruffled by sleep, stuck outward making him seem even younger than he was. A huge yawn suddenly struck, leaving a comfortable smile in its wake as he allowed himself to revel in the peace of the early morning before beginning the day. A few minutes passed before he forced himself to walk out of bed and grab his clothes. The rough fabric of his blue tunic shifted slightly against his skin as he placed it over his head, and the slight weight of his tanned jacket lay comfortably against his back. Finally finding the final piece, Merlin grabbed the familiar piece of red fabric and immediately tied it around his neck. Finally finished, he turned towards his door and opened it with dramatic flourish, startling the elder man.

"Morning Gaius!" Merlin announced cheerfully as he walked down the small set of steps to join his uncle, who was staring at him with a confused look.

"Merlin?" He exclaimed, raising an eyebrow in disbelief, "You're up early."

Realizing the truth in his statement, Merlin smiled innocently, "Yes, well, it's fun to give Arthur a good scare once in a while."

Gaius merely stared at his young ward and shook his head in defeat. Gesturing to the table, he pointed at the modest plate of meat and cheese that had Merlin's stomach immediately grumbling. "Well then, come on and eat your breakfast," Gaius ordered, sitting down himself. "Adelia was kind enough to bring us some food from the kitchen."

At this, Merlin couldn't help the small, fond smile that appeared on his face. Stepping closer to the table, he gave a small pout, "She is always saying that I'm too skinny…" Adelia was the head cook in the kitchens and was always arguing with him about his weight. She acted almost like a mother hen, trying to push bits of bread and meat in between banquets and festivities, not to mention every day he goes down to get the prince's food.

"And with good reason I might say!" He heard Gaius lecturing him. "You need to keep yourself fed, young man. We can't have you fainting in the middle of a battle."

Merlin simply rolled his eyes at his worry and nodded absent-mindedly, "Yes yes, I know…"

Giving his ward one last pointed look, he simply shook his head and smiled comfortably, "Thankfully though, there hasn't been any magical attack upon the kingdom."

Hearing this, Merlin's body immediately froze just before he was seated. Gaius was startled by his ward's sudden shout, "No!"

"What is it? What's wrong?" Gaius immediately started looking at their surroundings, trying to find the source of Merlin's shout but was surprised when his ward started pointing at him.

"You!"

Gaius couldn't help but blink for a few seconds. "Me?"

"Yes you!" Merlin stated as he began pacing around the room. "You just had to say it, didn't you? Why not just invite every magical creature here while you're at it!" he demanded, pouting slightly at the ceiling.

"Oh and I was so enjoying not having to save Arthur's life…" As he muttered this, the two fell into an uncomfortable silence, Merlin wondering if he could sneak a few sweets before he had to get into his protection mode and Gaius was wondering about the mental stated of his ward.

"Merlin, what are you talking about?" Gaius asked his young ward slowly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Merlin merely covered his face with his hand and groaned, "You jinxed us," he said in a monotone voice, trying not to break into a smile "Doom and misery are surely on their way here right now…"

Gaius, however, must have realized what he was doing and merely scoffed at him, "Oh, don't be so dramatic." He stated as he returned to his seat. "Just because I mention the absence of any threat to the crown, one will not immediately come to doom us."

Merlin wanted to agree with his uncle, but he had faced enough situations in his years in Camelot to know that things get incredibly bad after the calm. But, although he didn't want to upset his uncle, he was having too much fun with his show of theatrics this morning, so he shifted his jacket over his head to form a hood. "Doom and misery Gaius…" Merlin intoned.

He could see his uncle trying to stop a smile from forming before wagging a finger at him. "You know, I remember you being much more optimistic when you got here."

Shifting his jacked back on place, Merlin merely smiled brightly at him and sat back down. "Oh well!" He chirped and reached for a fork, "At least I'll get to fight the forces of evil on a full stomach this time!"

Immediately after he said this, just as he was about to bite down into a piece of meat, the front door opened suddenly as a familiar voice, bellowed into the room, "Merlin!"

Merlin couldn't help dropping the fork and raising his hands in defense, "I didn't do it!"

Arthur merely rolled his eyes at Merlin's antics, hiding the slight surprise at seeing him up so early. He was hoping to scare him awake. But he merely straightened his back and got to the point. "You're up. Good." Arthur stated as Merlin tried to regain his dignity back. "My father moved the town council up so you better hurry."

He began to turn away until he heard Merlin exclaiming towards his back, "But I haven't even eaten breakfast yet!"

At this, Arthur stopped for a second. Everyone who knew his servant was acutely aware of his horrid eating habits; it had gotten to the point where he fainted in the middle of the training field once. He would never admit it to anyone, least of all Merlin, but that had been one of the scariest moments in the prince's life. Ever since then, he and the others made sure that their young friend had something in his stomach every day.

Turning around, he eyed the small plate of apples on the table and immediately grabbed one. "Here," he said, throwing the apple to the startled man. He grabbed one of Merlin's shoulders making him rise from the chair. "You can eat while we walk. Gaius, you, of course, can join us at your own pace." He gave the elder physician a polite nod and began to drag his friend out the door, Merlin of course squirming all the way.

"Gaius! I was right!" Merlin shouted back at his uncle. "Misery has come to get me!"

Arthur threw him a nasty glare in return, "Shut up you idiot!"

As the two approached the door, Gaius merely gave his ward a pointed look and continued to finish his meal. Once the two got to the corridors, they began to walk in companionship silence and Merlin bit into the apple.

"So…Why am I going with you again exactly?" Merlin questioned simply as he bit once again into the fruit.

Hearing this, Arthur merely rolled his eyes in exasperation and turned to glare at him. "How many times am I going to have to say this to you?" Arthur asked as he pointed a finger at him. "You're my manservant, Merlin. Where I go, you go."

"But all I do is just stand there and do nothing while you sit and listen to the people." Merlin always felt useless when attending those meetings. The simple knowledge that he could help aid those who come here in need with a few simple words drove him positively mad.

Oblivious to the younger man's real reason for his mood, Arthur just turned around and glared at him. "Look, I wouldn't expect you to understand the importance of the town council, but the people deserved to be heard."

As Arthur turned around and continued to walk, he didn't notice Merlin's clenched fists. But as quickly as they formed, the fists unclenched themselves, and Merlin followed his master with pride shining in his eyes. Even though Arthur's statement hurt him, he knew that it was because Arthur thought that he saw no reason for a town council to exist. The few years that he had served the prince allowed him to watch as he grew from the idle youth who only cared about himself to a bright man who has learned to show compassion and kindness to his people. Merlin knew that Arthur would be the prophesied king.

"Of course. My mistake…" He tried to muster the strength to keep himself serious as he kept talking, "If you want my company so much, who am I to deny his royal pratness!"

As soon as Arthur heard this, he immediately tried to look as intimidating as he could while forcing the stunned look off his face. But by the way Merlin's smile seemed to only increase in size he assumed the younger man had noticed his slip.

"I most certainly do not need your company, you idiot!" Arthur hissed in what he hoped was a menacing tone but, Merlin merely shrugged, and his smile became a sly grin.

"Dollop head." And this became the start of their well known bout of insults, which the few servants and guards that passed them knew all too well. As they began to run out of retorts, the pair noticed that they had arrived at their destination. Arthur gave a small signal to the guards, and they opened the door, allowing Arthur to walk up to his place beside his father and his step-sister. Merlin walked dutifully to the side where he joined his uncle. How Gaius ever beat them here he will never know. But a few more minutes passed before the king commanded the first person to step up 

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_Me: *sigh* Yes, I know is not that much of a cliffhanger or anything of the sort but I assure you, they __**are **__coming. *grins innocently* But I am surprise to have read one of you was surprised to see no cliffhanger on the last chapter either…_

_*Gasps dramatically* __**That**__ must mean that you're starting to __**like **__my cliffies! Oh __**joy of joys!**__ *grins malevolently* I shall do you __**all**__ proud! *cue ominous music*_

_Me: And if Merlin seemed slightly OCC I do apologize. But hey! Even secret warlocks deserve to be dramatic some time!_

_And the thing with the pie and the priestess at the begining... unfortunably... was a true conversation with __**'**__**Angie's Master**__**' **via text message... _

_Until next time!_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

_Me: *sheepish* Wow. I can't believe how well you guys taken to this story. _

_Arthur: *glares* You're being nice… You are almost **never **nice unless you have something going on…_

_Me: *Gasps dramaticaly* Me? Why I __**never**__! *shifty eyes*_

_Arthur: *eyes widened and points* See! **See**! I **knew **this wasn't going to end well! *stomps off*_

_Me: *rolls eyes* Baby… Anyway! *to the mob* We are now getting into the heat of things! I've explained quite a lot in this chapter so pay attention. _

_8D_

_Enjoy!_

**_EDIT: THIS IS AN IMPROVE VERSION OF THE CHAPTER! PLEASE FEEL FREE TO RE READ AND COMMENT ON THE IMPROVEMENTS! THANK YOU! 8D_**

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As the day continued, some people began to gather and discuss the local farming and crops. Others discussed the increase of bandits in the lower levels and on a few trading routes. Nothing out of the ordinary. On the side, Merlin and Gaius stood next to each other, listening attentively just in case there was evidence of magical activity.

The meeting continued as normal, the king taking note of those with a higher priority and ignoring the rest. Morgana was trying very hard not to snap out at Uther for his clear dismissal, and Arthur just listened in quiet understanding. Merlin could see the thoughts passing through his mind and he knew he was cataloging each concern and need for when he was on the throne. As the meeting began to come to an end, Merlin noticed that the sun was also beginning its decent, meaning that it must've been midday.

"Alright then. I believe that should be the last -" As Uther started to dismissed the court, the doors opened suddenly, revealing a startled Sir Leon.

"My lord!" At his exclamation, Uther and Arthur immediately were at their feet.

"Yes Sir Leon. What is it?" Arthur asked him urgently as he stepped further towards him.

Once Sir Leon managed to catch his breath, he straightened his pose and addressed the king, "A convoy of knights arrived recently at the gates. They say that they need to speak to His Majesty right away."

The others in the room began to murmur in curiosity, but a raised hand from Uther silenced them immediately. He turned toward Sir Leon and addressed him. "Did they specify what for?"

At this Leon only nodded as he continued, "They said that it was a matter of the safety of the kingdom, sire."

Upon hearing this, Uther and Arthur shared a look of concern, not knowing that among the crowd, Merlin and Gaius shared the same look. A second passed before he turned towards the knight. "Then send them in at once."

Hearing the clear order, Leon merely nodded and walked out of the room. As Leon made his way towards the room where he had accommodated the knights, flashes from their meeting flashed briefly in front of his eyes. They were a group of five knights, their armor caked with mud and blood that did nothing to distort the image of proud warriors.

The leader of the group, and he dare not address her as anything but, was a woman with chestnut hair wearing an intricate mixture of ridding clothes and armor. Her stature was a petite five foot five, but that didn't seem to stop the waves of strength that emanated from her. He noticed the weave of chains tied closely to her body, the ends strapped to her thighs.

Right beside her was a man with metallic blond hair, some of its strands falling upon his face and covering his right eye. He stood at an impressive six feet five inches, taller than most men Leon had ever seen. A man of his stature should look intimidating, but as Leon looked at what he could of his eyes, he saw that they were kind and inviting, despite the scar across his jaw. His armor was the same as the woman's: the left shoulder piece was almost looked almost like a serrated crystal with another one underneath. His other shoulder held a simple shoulder piece, much like the one the knights of Camelot wore, and on his back there was a shoulder scabbard holding an impressive great sword.

The other three at the back were dressed in the same manner as the blond, carrying a big crate between them with the utmost care. All of their armor glistened in the sunlight despite the grime, and as they walked in, the rare white metal armor had all the townspeople staring in awe. The clear royal crest of a Celtic cross with two dragons woven into it was clear to all.

As they waited in the hall, Merlin and Gaius were trying to figure out what kind of new threat there could be for the crown this time. Well, at least Gaius was. Merlin was stuck between worrying and glaring at his uncle. But before anything could be said, they heard the doors open once more as Sir Leon stepped forward, the knights right on tow.

"Hail, King Uther Pendragon and Prince Arthur of Camelot." Merlin's eyes widened as he heard the all too familiar voice. But that was impossible. It couldn't be. It's been years since he heard that voice.

Another life…

But there she was. All dressed in armor and mud, her favorite weapon snaked around her comfortably as she addressed the king with a slight bow. The memories that assaulted him at that moment were so overwhelming that he found his hand reaching for his uncle's shoulder. The fact that he gave him a comforting face meant that he remembered them as well.

"We are most grateful for you to have granted us council in such short a time," Anthea addressed the king. The stories they had heard of Camelot were true, and she and her men were in awe of the grand structures surrounding them. But they were on a mission, so they could not dwell on it for long.

"Yes, well you said that you had something to discuss of great importance concerning the safety of my kingdom," Uther stated with regality that only a royal possessed.

His voice was brimming with a sense of smugness that Anthea didn't like, but orders are orders.

As Uther was addressing her, Eldwin, the blond knight, felt someone's eyes upon him. Scanning the court, he stopped when a familiar pair of cerulean eyes met his. Once he noticed that Eldwin had discovered him, his eyes seemed to widen even more. Eldwin noticed offhandedly that he was even thinner than when he was younger. Anthea would not be happy with that.

Keeping control of his emotions, he placed a hand on Anthea's shoulder and sent her a small mental message. Her eyes widened slightly at this as he nodded in affirmation. Suddenly brought almost to the point of weeping, she closed her eyes for a second and gave him a brave smile before she addressed the king once again.

"Indeed we do sire." She gestured to the other knights behind her, "We are the white knights of the court of Oridian. Our kingdom resides to the far north, over the high mountains of Snowdon, and we have been in pursuit of a creature that managed to elude us for many months. Our hunt had lead us to the kingdom of Camelot."

At the mention of a creature, Merlin's eyes fluttered closed, and the churning of emotions threatened to make themselves known to everyone in the court. Images of a dark and somber past attacked his mind as he heard Anthea continue.

"We have come here to ask your permission to continue with our hunt. We'll need free reign of the forest at night to be able to continue. And if you decide to assist us, I can assure you Camelot will have Oridian's eternal alliance." She could see that she had gotten Uther's attention.

Raising an eyebrow, Uther stepped forward, "What sort of creature would compel you to hunt it down over countless kingdoms?"

At his question, he saw as the girl closed his eyes and for the first time since they entered, her aura of strength gave way to the bone weary tiredness she and her compatriots must have felt. "For you to fully understand our reason, you will have to understand the last few decades of our kingdom, and the suffering this creature has costs us."

Seeing Uther nodding in affirmation, she began to speak, "Twenty-one years ago, our kingdom was a prosperous land. Our king and queen had just announced that the queen was with child, sending the kingdom into a state of celebration." As she began her tale, Merlin's eyes lost focus, and the memories washed over him.

"Unfortunately, in the final stages of her pregnancy the queen became incredibly weak," Anthea explained sadly. "She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, but our queen passed away a few seconds after she kissed her son for the first and final time." A small pang of pain could be seen across both Pendragons' faces as they remembered their own loss.

"As the years passed, our king raised his son as best as he could with the help of the nursing staff and family friends. He wanted to honor his wife's memory in raising the young prince with as much love and dedication that she would have given him." One of Merlin's hands was clenching his chest, and Gaius was giving him a look of concern.

"Through the years, our prince grew up to be the spitting image of his mother and was as devoted to the people as his father. But even as he believed his family and kingdom were safe, there was one who had his own hidden agenda." Arthur and Uther noticed the tone of disdain in her voice as her eyes steeled, "When our king set out to lead his troops into the battlefield, his brother took this as his golden opportunity to overthrow the crown."

"Over the years, he had been amassing traitors of the crown and integrating them into the court. Once the king was gone, the small army he had at his disposal began their attack." This was said by Eldwinm as the anger had overwhelmed his beloved too much to speak. "The few guards that were left were quickly overtaken, and the king's brother took control. He began to summon a beast made of shadows and blood."

At the mention of this, Uther's eyes became ablaze. "Magic…"

Anthea nodded in reply. "The darkest kind," she stated, not wanting to show her disdain at his attitude towards magic. "But as the kingdom began to fall, myself and Eldwin were in the protection of our young prince. Our lord was barely fifteen years of age at the time and already was faced with the cruelty of war." At this, Merlin's body tensed up as he opened his eyes once more.

"But our young prince quickly fell into action. We gathered those who were still loyal to him and his father, and we began our retaliation." Anthea and Eldwin smiled proudly as they remembered their young lord's action. "We were amazed at the courage and wisdom our young lord showed that day, and we gladly followed his command."

At this, the royals were surprised that a boy that age could do something like that. But their smiles soon disappeared as she continued. "We were starting to take care of the small army, but before we knew it, they were falling back. And as we counted the survivors, we noticed that our prince wasn't with us." At this, Arthur noticed the blond knights hand clench. He saw the clear distressed and anger the two were feeling at the moment, despite what he was sure were attempts to hide it.

"We made our way to the throne room, desperate to get the prince back, but we were quickly overtaken three to one." Anthea continued, with only a small pang of distress in her voice to truly show her inner conflict. "We noticed our prince being held by two mercenaries, the king's brother was planning on making our prince suffer by making him watch our deaths." At this however, the two knights' faces split into another proud grin.

"But that was a mistake…" Eldwin said making Anthea turn to him and smile.

"Indeed," she agreed, and seeing the confused stares that greeted this, she explained further, "Seeing that we were about to die, our prince summoned an incredible amount of strength, which allowed him to overpower those holding him. We immediately took advantage of the distraction and began to break ourselves free. But when it looked like we were about to win, the tyrant ordered his beast to attack the prince. Its claws grasping him by the throat…" A hand was on Merlin's throat in an instant as he felt the bone-chilling cold of the beast's claw.

"As our prince began screaming, we realized that the beast was placing a curse upon him. Before we could do anything, the beast let him go, his body fell to the ground. When we tried to get to him, though, we were overcome by weakness." She continued the tale with spiteful venom towards the tyrant and the beast.

Arthur was about to give his condolences, thinking that the curse must've taken the young prince with it but, as if he sensed his thoughts, the knight quickly continued, "The tyrant then explained that the curse made it so that as long as our prince remained in the kingdom, his people would become sick and eventually die. We managed to help him escape and sent him with one of the most loyal of the court to keep him safe."

Silence fell upon the room as the knights took a few seconds to gather their thoughts. Releasing a small sigh, Anthea continued, knowing that the story had to be told. She raised her golden hazel eyes towards the two royals as she finished her tale. "Seeing no other choice, our lord decided to flee his kingdom in order to protect his people. But now, our king has finally taken back control of the kingdom, and his brother has been publically executed. But tge beast managed to escape, and in order for us to break the curse that had befallen our prince, we must destroy it."

The courtroom fell into silence once again as the knight's awaited for the king's decision. A few minutes passed until he turned to address them, "I see." He gave them a slight nod. "You will have full access to the forest, and my son will assist you in the hunt as well. I won't have that beast roaming free within my kingdom."

A sigh of relief could be heard amongst the white knights as Arthur stepped forward to address them "And we will, of course, assist you in your search for your prince once the beast is slain," he offered, having seen the clear dedication and loyalty they had towards their prince.

But he was surprised to see them smiling cheerfully as Anthea happily replied, "Oh, there is no need for that sire."

Merlin raised his head towards the two. The news of the king's uprising and the tyrant's justly death sent a bout of happiness he had only ever experienced twice in his lifetime. He gave his uncle one questioning, if not pleading, look, and was relieved at seeing him nod in affirmation to his silent request. Having made his decision he distantly heard Arthur speak as he pushed himself to the front. "So you've already found him then," Arthur asked the two knights, but the answer came from the last place he could have thought of. He watched as Merlin stepped away from the crowd and walked towards the center.

"Yes… They have," Merlin stated in a deadpan voice directed toward the royals. But his concentration wasn't with them. He was looking straight at the white knights of Oridian. He didn't recognize the other three in the back but, he couldn't help but be so relieved and happy to see them once again. They were his friends. His family…

"What are you doing, boy? **_Know_** your place!" He heard Uther snap behind him, no doubt furious at his blatant disrespect.

Right after this, he felt Arthur's hand clenching his shoulder and tried to push him back. "**_Mer_**lin, what are you **_doing,_** you **_idiot_**!" He hissed in half anger and half worry, trying to save his servant from his father's fury.

But Merlin merely shrugged his hand away and stepped forward, stopping in front of the group of knights. Everyone was silent, mostly from shock he assumed, but all Merlin could see were the smiles on the knights' faces getting bigger and bigger with every step he took.

Shaking her head slightly, Anthea stepped forward, her smile never leaving her face as her expression turned to one of fondness and loyalty. "It is good to see you once again…" As she said this, everyone in the room was shocked to see the group of knights begin to bow. But it wasn't the same bow they gave the king and the prince at the beginning. No, instead of just slightly lowering their heads, they began to lower themselves to the ground. The metal clanks of their armor grating on the marble floors could be heard as their knees hit the ground. Gasps emanated from the audience as they watched the subtle transformation of the man they thought of as an insignificant servant of the crown to something else.

Something more…

His back seemed to straighten itself as the knight's bowed to him. His expression morphed from a clueless boy to a wiser and older man. His eyes, always so cheerful before, began to show a sadness that a few in the crowd found almost unbearable to look at. The leader of the knights, her eyes never leaving his face finally lowered her face as she addressed the man she had searched for over six years.

"Prince Merlin."

* * *

_Me: *grins malevolently* Yes! It's a fact! You people **LOOOOOVE **my cliffies! Yeap! I've read it with my own eyes! And I shall do even **BETTER **ones for the future!_

_And Snowdon is an actual place._

_Yeap... Look it up._

_Until next time!_


	4. Chapter 4

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

_Me: *stunned* Wow. I was amazed at the amount of responses the last chapter got! It was only the third chapter and I managed to collect over 60 comments! 8D_

_Thank you so much!_

**_And now for some Q&A…_**

_The story is placed between 'The Lady of the Lake' and 'Sweet Dreams'_

_Yes. Merlin will be able of using his magic._

_He and Arthur will remain friends. But they will have to work things out first._

_Oridian does allow magic._

_Gwen and Morgana will have a small part in this. They will act as a sort of mediator for the two. (And Morgana is not evil)_

_Concerning the lack of athletic ability of Merlin… Well… Just wait for the next following chapters…_

_Me: *coughs loudly as trumpets sound on the background* *sitting on her throne* Attention, my virtual kingdom! As you probably notice, I uploaded a revised edit of the last three chapters. Well, that is because I have found a second person who has demonstrated an interest and the willingness to shift through the uncooked disaster batter of the chapters before cooking them to perfection. _

_Me: So_ **_Euonym_**, please step forward…

**_Euonym: _**_*steps forward and kneels*_

_Me: *gestures to **The Labyrinths Scribe*** *she steps forward holding the great book of Beta-ness*_

**_The Labyrinths Scribe: _**_Do you, _**_Euonym, _**_swear to uphold the laws of the virtual kingdom. To always be at the ready to revise and reply to the queen's chapters and to refrain from pestering her for details concerning the future of the story?_

**_Euonym: _**_*nods while kneeling* I do so swear…_

_Me: *steps forward and places a hand on her shoulder* Then arise my friend *to the crowd* My people! Before you stands the newswest Beta for the royal court! She, alongside **The Labyrinths Scribe, **will work click by click to uphold my kingdoms reputation! *crowd cheers*_

_Me: And *shifty eyes* Lets just say for the sake of the story… That we have never seen Merlin without his neckerchief… _

_Anyways… Enjoy!_

* * *

Staring at the bowed knights, Merlin couldn't help the loud sigh that escaped from his lips. He stepped forward, feeling every eye in the room follow him, and extended a hand towards the kneeling leader. Her eyes shot open as she felt his presence in front of her, her head raised and she noticed his outstretched hand and raised eyebrow.

"I clearly remember saying that there was no need for you to be so formal with me," he said with a fond smile as Anthea took the offered hand to stand up. Feeling slightly sheepish at his tone, she remembered the many times he had told them to drop his title.

"Sorry sire, but it has been a long time," Eldwin answered from behind as he and the other began to stand up. Stepping closer to his prince, he clapped his back in joy. Merlin staggered from its strength. Smiling grudgingly at the man, Merlin couldn't believe how easy it was to fall back on old routines. But before they could continue, Arthur's boisterous voice made itself known.

"Now **_wait_** just a **_second_**!" Arthur exclaimed almost hysterically as the group turned their attention to him.

"Do you **_really_** expect us to believe that **_Mer_**lin here is your long lost **_prince_**?" He felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. Merlin had become an important part of his life these past few years. He had become the only servant willing to put up with his temper. The only person who was willing to overlook his title and treat him like anyone else. The only person who had, on occasion, shown the wisdom to give him council during his greatest times of need. The only person who had dug his way so deep into his heart that Arthur could say without question that he had finally found a true friend. A brother.

He thought he knew him. He had grown accustomed to the familiar sight of the ever cheerful man who always remained by his side. The sarcastic remarks on the many adventures they'd been in. He had shared his doubts. His deepest desires and secrets, thinking Merlin was doing the same. He had become his confidant and his unofficial advisor in matters of the court. His faithful companion, always by his side. But it turned out to be a farce. Merlin hadn't trusted him at all. And it hurt so much that it almost left him breathless.

Hearing his demands, Eldwin's eyes flared in anger at his superior tone. "You **_dare_** question-!" But before he could step closer, he felt his prince's hand on his chest, stopping him from continuing.

When the blond knight stepped down, Merlin turned to the two stunned royals. "You need proof, right?"

An uncomfortable look flashed between the two knights as Anthea stepped closer to Merlin, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Sire…" He knew her concern but Merlin understood the need to prove the truth of their story.

"It's ok, Anthea. They need to be sure," he assured her, patting her hand warmly and trying to make her understand. Sensing his quiet resolve, she merely nodded and stepped blackguards, letting him continue. On the sidelines, the court was watching the interaction with curiosity, wanting to see what the young prince could do to prove his lineage that made the two knights so nervous.

Slowly, Merlin raised his hands to the back of his neck and began to untie the knot that held his ever-present neckerchief. Pale hands made quick work of it, ridding his neck of the blood red fabric. But what they imaged would be smooth, alabaster skin was not so. Dark tendrils slivered across his entire neck, forming a circle as the blackened scar took form. Gasps filled the room as they realized that the mark was the shape of great claws, and parts of them had clearly pierced the skin. From the thickest marks, the blackness could be seen branching outward, like poison, trying to get its victim. A few seconds passed before he returned the neckerchief back to its place, covering the mark.

"When the beast placed its curse, it left a mark…" As he said this, Merlin placed a hand upon his neck, as if trying to push back the feeling of the beast's claw upon his neck.

Sensing the tension thick in the room, and seeing Arthur's eyes still wide with shock, he couldn't help but break the tension the best way he could. "Come on," He exclaimed with a smile, surprising everyone in the room. "Did you honestly believe that I'd wear a neckerchief all the time without a reason?"

His attempt at humor did alleviate the tension, but his words resonated in their minds. To be truthful, none of them had actually seen Merlin without a neckerchief of some sorts. They always thought that it was just another quirk of his. However, their thoughts were interrupted as their heard the king speak.

"Then why not tell the truth?" He asked, truly baffled by the news. "Surely you could've made your life easier if you'd just told us your tale?" The monarch couldn't believe that the odd boy before him could be of royal blood, let alone a prince.

But Merlin merely gave the king a saddened smile, "Because I had no proof." He couldn't stop the weary sight that escaped from his lips.

"I arrived in Camelot with only a spare set of clothes and a mark to shield from prying eyes." He explained with a small smile "If I'd come forth with this kind of story, I had no doubt that the stocks would've become my permanent place of residency." A small bout of giggles erupted throughout the court; the knowledge of his frequent visits to the stocks was well known by all. Arthur couldn't help the roll of his eyes at hearing the blatant attempt at humor from the young prince, but stopped as he noticed the look of fondness that was directed at him.

"Besides…" As he said this, Merlin's eyes burned with the fierce loyalty that he had always shown toward the blond prince, hoping to project his friendship "I find no shame in working as a servant," he stated making everyone's eyes in the court widen. "Especially when the man I serve has shown the makings of a great king."

The king's expression changed upon hearing this. What was once a look of apprehension and suspicion now morphed to that of rare pride for his son at the praise.

Merlin turned to look at the king as he continued, "Now with your permission, sire, I would like to speak to my men."

The king merely blinked for a few moments before the request even registered in his mind, the revelation had left him shaken so. "Of course. By all means…"

Merlin figured it would be best to show some subservience, so he gave the king a brief bow before turning towards his men. Taking this as a clear dismissal, the knights followed after their prince. The hall became silent as they saw the group walk out of the room, the doors closing behind them.

Immediately, Uther turned towards Gaius and called the elder physician forward. "Gaius!" He exclaimed as he pointed to the door. "You've lived with the boy. Did you know about this?"

With a small sigh Gaius, nodded his head. "Yes, sire," He answered. "My sister was the one appointed as his nursemaid when he was born. I often visited her before settling permanently here in Camelot. After the overthrow, she was the one appointed as his guardian while he was in exile." Well, that explained Hunith's role. Arthur placed a weary hand over his face as he slumped down into his throne.

Uther paid no attention to his son as he continued to berate the physician with more questions concerning the newly discovered prince. But Gwen and Morgana couldn't help the looks of worry at the sight of the blond prince deflating in his throne. Thankfully, all the others were clearly engrossed in the king's discussion.

* * *

Meanwhile, a few rooms down the corridor, the group of knights followed their prince knowing that he knew where they were going. Soon, Merlin found one of the great rooms that were usually reserved for visiting guests and led the others inside.

"We should be okay here," he said as he closed the doors behind him. Turning to the group, his eyes zeroed in on Anthea and Eldwin, his face breaking into a brilliant smile. They saw his smile and immediately gave one in return. The three approached each other, and Merlin embraced them strongly.

"I have missed you!" He exclaimed happily as he released his old friends.

Anthea smiled at her young lord and placed a hand on his shoulders, squeezing gently. "So have we, sire!"

"Anthea! You look as lovely as ever!" Anthea couldn't help the blush that graced her pale skin at his enthusiastic compliment. Merlin couldn't help but compare the younger girl who always accompanied him throughout his childhood to the strong woman here before him. Turning towards Eldwin, he couldn't be surprised at his stature since he was always taller than most. But he felt a pang of sorrow seeing the scar along his jaw line, knowing that it must have happened while they were claiming back the kingdom. Not wanting to lose himself in his past, Merlin focused on the knight.

"And Eldwin…" He said as Eldwin merely smiled at him. "You've gotten old!" Eldwin's smile immediately fell upon hearing the familiar quip, and he glared at the prince.

"Hey! Watch it, kid." Eldwin exclaimed as he pointed a finger in his face. "I still haven't told anyone about that time with the visiting royals."

Upon hearing this, Merlin's eyes widened in worry. "W-which royals? There has been so many o-" He stopped in mid-sentence as Eldwin's face moved closer to his, a playful smirk clear upon it.

"One word," As he said this, Eldwin poked Merlin's nose. "Frogs."

Before Merlin could defend himself, however, Anthea stood between her two boys and acted as the adult. "Now, boys, behave." Hearing her tone, the two men lowered their heads sheepishly. Anthea noticed that the other knights watched the prince's antics with amusement and she decided that it was about time to make the proper introductions. Getting Merlin's attention, she gestured to the others in the room. "My lord, I would like to introduce you to the newest addition to the white knights." At her announcement, the knights stood to attention, wanting to make a good first impression on their prince.

"I present to you Sir Gareth, Sir Trahern and Sir Wallace. They joined the resistance from the very beginning and have accompanied us through the years. They are some of the strongest and most noble men to join the ranks." They each bowed at the mention of their name, and Merlin's gentle smile never left his face.

"My prince," Sir Gareth addressed him "We've heard the stories of your bravery and your courage, and we have longed for the day when we could finally prove our loyalty to you." The others agreed with their compatriot's words as they took out their swords and placed them in front of them. They each bowed to the floor, striking their swords upon it.

"We are honored to serve you, my lord."

Merlin's eyes softened at their display of subservience and stepped forward. "Arise, my fellow knights, as you have no need to swear your loyalty to me." Offering his hand to them, the others took it with confusion.

"My lord?"

"For Anthea to speak so highly of you I am sure you must be of unshakable honor. And you have served my father in our time of need, for which I thank you." As he said this he grasped Sir's Gareth shoulder in a thankful gesture and stared directly into each of their eyes. "But I have yet to prove myself worthy of your loyalty." Seeing the confusion in his eyes he continued.

"You've only heard stories about me. Those which, overtime, tend to exaggerate the facts. And from that alone one cannot truly swear true loyalty to another," Merlin explained. "But I swear, I will prove myself worthy of your praise when we set out to kill the beast." Merlin at this point, started to walk towards the window leaving the three young knights staring at him in surprise. A few seconds passed before the knights broke into a comfortable smile, their eyes brimming with newfound loyalty for their young lord.

"_That is of little matter now my prince." _Sir Gareth thought to himself as he looked how the sunlight was showering Merlin. His servant clothes did nothing to stifle the air of royalty that the young man had gained in the few hours since their arrival._ "With your words, you have just sealed our loyalty."_A few seconds passed in comfortable silence before they heard Merlin sigh wearily and turn to look at them.

"**_There is another matter we must discuss, however._**" They heard Merlin projecting his words into their minds, and everyone stood to attention. "**_As knights of Oridian, you all must possess some form of magical talent. But you must also be aware of the laws against magic inside of Camelot, correct?_**" The all nodded in reply allowing Merlin to continue.

"**_Then I must ask you to refrain from using any magic when we face the beast._**" Seeing Anthea and Eldwin about to argue, Merlin quickly explained. "**_Since Arthur offered his knights for the hunt, we can't be seen using our magic. So unless there is a life or death situation, I must ask you not to use your magic._**" The others wanted to argue about the use of magic, but seeing the look of sadness in Merlin's eyes, they knew that he had to have a reason for him to be willing to risk his freedom. Grudgingly, they nodded in reply.

"Yes, sire." Giving a sigh of relief, Merlin gave them a relieved look.

"Thank you," he said with a brief smile as he addressed the three knights. "Now go. Rest. You're surely tired from your long journey. The king has no doubt already assigned some living quarters for your stay here." Giving their prince looks of relief in return, the three knights gave him a brief bow before turning towards the doors. As the doors closed, Merlin's smile fell from his face as he sensed the remaining two walk closer.

"So," He heard Anthea speak. "Shall we talk of our battle strategy or would you like us to-" Before she could continue however, the two were stunned to have the young prince embracing them with as much strength as he could muster.

"Sire?" Anthea asked. Worried at the silence that answered her, she placed a hand on his shoulders. "Sire, what's wrong?" His shoulders shook beneath her hands as they finally realized what was happening. A single tear fell to the floor. Merlin tried his best to hold the others back, but quickly failed.

"I've **_missed_** you…" Merlin whispered, anguish clear in his voice. "I've missed you so **_much_**!" The other two felt a pang of sorrow in their hearts at the loneliness their young prince had to withstand these past years. Forced to stay away from his family and friends, not knowing if they were alive or dead. They immediately embraced the young man in their arms, their hearts breaking as they heard him break down completely. Anthea began rubbing his back soothingly as she whispered into his ear.

"So have we, Merlin…"

* * *

"How was he treated?" Hearing the sudden question, Arthur could only blink at his father in confusion.

Seeing this, Uther rolled his eyes in exasperation and explained, "Merlin. The prince. How did you treat him while he was your manservant?"

The question made Arthur stop and think for a second. It was well known inside the castle that his treatment of his servants left a lot to be desired, but ever since Merlin arrived he had started to change his brusque demeanor. But try as he may, he still knew that he sometimes treated Merlin harshly. Knowing his father was waiting for an answer he began speaking.

"I treated him like all my other servants. It was just my luck that he had the patience to stand my temper…"

Hearing the truth in his son's voice, Uther began to shake his head, "This is not good. The few things I've heard of his kingdom tell me of the incredible strength of his army. An army said to have defeated legions with only a hundred men." The sure statement of the strength of Oridian's left them stunned, but Gaius started, seeing the fear appearing in some of the courts' faces.

"Sire, King Balinor only uses his army to defend his kingdom in case of an uprising or siege," he began explaining. "He feels the need for further conquest is unnecessary and is happy to just keep his kingdom safe."

Hearing this, Morgana stepped forward, "Do you actually think that Merlin would want to attack us because of how he was treated as a servant?" She knew that Merlin was too kindhearted to even consider doing something against them.

But Uther merely shook his head, "No, that much I can tell by the look in his eyes, but it might damage our chance of creating an alliance with his kingdom." Of course his father would be concern about that. It took every ounce of his will power to stop Arthur from rolling his eyes.

"Arthur!" Uther exclaimed, and idea forming already in his head. "Go find him. Try to befriend him, and see if you can convince him to form an alliance with us. He might respond to you." If only Uther knew the irony of his statement. He and Merlin had already become as close as brothers could, but they had hidden it because of their difference in status. But now that Uther knew he could get something from their friendship, he was as supportive as he could be. Lowering his head to hide his glare he gave his father a brief bow.

"Yes, Father…" Arthur began to walk out of the room, Morgana and Gwen quickly on his heels to insure he was alright.

Once the three were out of the room, Uther turned to Gaius with a greedy smirk on his face "I can see it now," he started saying. "With Oridian's alliance, no kingdom would dare challenge my ruling and try to attack." The pure glee in his eyes was clearly visible for those who knew him, and Gaius merely sighed in defeat.

"Of course sire…"

Uther then turned and addressed a cluster of servants amongst the crowd. "We must make arrangements for our guests. Rooms shall be made to accommodate their stay, and the prince shall be given the royal treatment. He will not be spared any luxury." He ordered as he gestured with his hands. "Come, we shall start immediately. There's no time to waste."

Right then, Gaius felt sorry for the king, so blind by power and social status that he believed that Merlin could be persuaded by luxuries. But he knew the boy well. It didn't matter if he was sleeping on a mattress lined in feathers or straw, his instincts would tell him if he was being used for his connections. Besides, without them knowing, Merlin had found his destiny in Camelot. The loyalty that Merlin possessed for the blond prince always amazed Gaius, and he was thankful for it. When he was forced to leave his people, Merlin had become lost, not knowing where or what the future wanted from him. But since he came to Camelot, he found a new purpose for his magic, and his happiness was slowly returning. But Gaius was concerned about what the new developments and newly discovered secrets would do to the pair. Hopefully, destiny will find a way to sort each other out while still keeping the bond those two had created.

* * *

_Me: *giggling* Oh, I am just loving writing this! I can be as evil as I possibly can and I **have** to! It's the way that the story flows in my head! *cue evil laugh and ominous lightning*_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: I owe nothing**_

_Me: *coughs loudly as trumpets sound on the background* *sitting on her throne* My people! It gives me great pleasure to finally be able to knight my white champion! *crowd cheers*_

_Me: So, **Lady Helen of Mora**, please step forward…_

_Lady Helen of Mora: *steps forward and kneels*_

_Me: *steps forward and takes out Arthur's sword* Do you, **Lady Helen of Mora**, swear to uphold the laws of my virtual kingdom. To always defend the integrity of the stories and protect your queen?_

**_Lady Helen of Mora_**_: *nods while kneeling* I do so swear m'lady…_

_Me: *steps forward and places a hand on her shoulder* Then arise my friend *to the crowd* My people! Before you stands the newest knight of the royal court! *crowd cheers*_

_Me: Now, a few facts about the story. I've arrange it to be 10 chapters long and there will not be a sequel. *mutters* Gods knows I have my work cut out for me in my "destiny" series…_

_The dragon won't play a part in here and I haven't decided if I'm going to have Arthur and the others visit Oridian… *shifty eyes* Or HAVE I?_

_Anyways, I know you people don't want to read me talking so, without further delay. Enjoy!_

* * *

Arthur and the girls arrived at his quarters, hoping to find the newly discovered prince, but they found the room devoid of any signs of life. Without a word, Arthur began to pace the room to get his thoughts in order while the girls looked at each other with concern for their prince.

A few minutes passed before Arthur stopped his pacing and leaned upon the sill of a window, watching the sun begin to set. He was trying to stop himself from screaming in anger at the implications of what happened a few minutes ago. But it all came to one thing.

Merlin had lied to him. Plain and simple.

The one person, in whom he fully believed, trusted and confided, the one person who he thought was being honest with him had lied to him. He had lied to his face for years, and his heart constricted when the betrayal of that single statement hit him.

"Well," he heard Morgana's voice break the silence of the room. "It does explain some things…"

Hearing this, Arthurs eyes widened in shock. "What could this **_possibly_** explain? If anything, it opened up an entire **_book_**of questions!" Offhandedly, he noticed Guinevere jump slightly at his harsh tone, but Morgana merely blinked at him and continued.

"The way he held himself when he let his guard down. I swore I could always see some form of nobility in his posture." And this was true. As if the mere acknowledgement of the fact was a password, images of Merlin appeared from their memories: Out of the corners of their eyes, when their backs were almost fully turned, they could remember how his back would straighten ever so slightly. Memories of Merlin's speech, how he spoke with elocution that shouldn't be possible for a regular farm boy, sprung into their minds, but the most shocking, newly discovered aspect of the secret prince was his eyes. The three inside of the room could each tell of an instance when they had had noticed the cheerful glint of his eyes slide away to reveal a weary and tired soul that has faced too much for his young lifetime. But Arthur was not going to be swayed by this.

"Yes. And the rest of times he was **_lying_** to us!" He still couldn't help the betrayal he felt.

Seeing this, Gwen approached the blond prince, hoping to help him see reason. "But Sire…" He gave her a slightly annoyed look at his title, but she quickly recovered. "Arthur, from what he said it looked like he had no choice."

"He could've chosen to **_trust_** us!"

Morgana quickly stood up and approached him, to interject in the conversation that was going nowhere. "Look," she stated, "we could spend all day trying to figure out who is to blame, but we should go and find him…" She was interrupted by the clear sound of the door opening. The familiar locks of raven hair could be seen as Merlin entered the room, slightly sheepish.

"… or we could just wait for him to show up." She finished with the beginning of a smile on her face.

Gwen's eyes widened in surprised and immediately exclaimed, "Merlin!" As she said this, however, she quickly remembered that she was now talking to a man of royalty rather than a fellow servant, and her instincts quickly made her bow. "Oh! I mean Sire!"

Merlin, in turn, froze and turned sad eyes towards his friend. Before Arthur could even speak, Merlin quickly moved forward and placed his hands on her petite shoulders. Feeling the slight pressure of his hands, she raised her head in shock to stare at him, wide eyed before noticing his face. His eyes were a mixed in between anguish and sorrow. But she wasn't sure what exactly had caused it.

"Please don't do this…" They heard him utter. "Please don't treat me any differently because of what you know. Any of you!" The sheer desperation could be seen clearly in his eyes.

"I'm still the same Merlin. Aside from being a bit more graceful, I'm still the same goofy and scrawny boy you know!" Merlin tried to diffuse the situation with his usual wit, but even he could hear that it was forced. He saw

Arthur's crossed arms upon his chest, a sure sign that he was angry, were underscored by his continued glare towards Merlin. "The same scrawny boy that has lied to us about who he truly is…"

Hearing this, Merlin lowered his head in defeat. He could see how the emotional barriers that Arthur had slowly taken apart over the years were beginning to rebuild themselves and shutting him out. "I don't know what else to say…"

Upon hearing that small utterance, Arthur walked closer to him, his glare never wavering. The girls remained silent, watching the two carefully. As Arthur got relatively close to Merlin, he leaned forward, forcing the younger man to lean back nervously.

"Just tell me one thing," Arthur seethed at him. "Why didn't you tell any of us?"

Merlin merely blinked at this for a few seconds. Was he really asking him that?

"Come on, Arthur. Would you really have believed me when I told you that I was secretly a prince but was forced to flee to keep my people safe?" Arthur remained silent. "I knew that, at best, you would just laugh in my face and send me to the stocks. And I couldn't take that…" As he said this, he turned his head to the side, his eyes darkening. "Not after I lost everything."

The room fell silent at his statement, and the others traded looks of worry and regret. Arthur felt slightly ashamed for forgetting the plight the younger man had been going through. Seeing the need to interfere, Morgana stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. As he turned his head towards them, she gave him a gentle look.

"We're sorry, Merlin. We understand why you kept quiet, **_don't_**we, Arthur?" At the last part, Arthur saw the glare directed at him and gave Merlin a small nod.

"Yes. We do."

"So, why don't you tell us more about your kingdom? I must say that I'm intrigued about where you actually grew up."

Seeing the clear curiosity on all of their faces, Merlin couldn't help the brilliant smile that graced his face. It has been years since he had anyone to talk with about his kingdom that wasn't aware of the overthrow, and he was thrilled to be able to do so now without the threat of discovery. He joined Morgana and Gwen at the table and took the offered seat as he began his tale.

"Well, Oridian doesn't really get much direct sun, but I remember how the mist would merge with the few rays of sunlight in the morning and turn the whole city golden." Merlin began describing his home with a tone of nostalgia. He had always admired the mystic air of the forest when the mist descended upon it. "The castle stood in the center, its walls weren't built with the usual grey stones but somehow, ours was built with a stronger white stone. I asked my father about it once, but he said that the castle was built even before our people ever arrived." The others noticed how exited their young friend grew with every word he uttered about his homeland. It seemed like an invisible weight was slowly lifting from his shoulders making him able to breathe once more.

"The streets were always brimming with life when the merchants and entertainers started to work," They heard Merlin continue. "I remember the kids were always running about in the main square, splashing each other with the fountain water, and their parents were always walking alongside the water canals by the pavement." Merlin remembered a few occasions when he was fortunate enough to be caught in one of those fights. Those times were the closest he felt to his people, and he was glad they were comfortable enough to try something like that with him regardless of his status. The parents reprimanded their children for starting the fights and getting the prince wet, but Merlin always laughed it off and shook their hands to show that there was nothing to forgive. The first time he did that he swore their eyes were going to pop right out of their sockets; the couple had just moved to the city and hadn't known how unorthodox the royal family truly was.

He snapped from his memories as he heard Gwen speak. "It sounds wonderful." Hearing this, Merlin couldn't help his smile getting bigger.

Having come to a decision, and hoping she wasn't being too blunt, Morgana asked, "Could you tell us about your father?"

At the clear curiosity in their eyes, Merlin's smile took a more gentle tone as he tried to think of where to begin. "My father is a good man," he finally said. "He is a kind and noble man who is not afraid of getting down on the ground to help an elderly woman finish gathering the last of her harvest. He is fair and just, never letting any injustice litter his peaceful kingdom." Merlin clearly remembered every story and every instance when his father had helped their people in one way or another. In his memory, he saw the way the people looked up to his father; trusted him to protect them from any harm that may come their way, and he, in return, gave it his all. Arthur couldn't help the slight twinge of jealousy at the deep relationship Merlin had with his father, but he quickly pushed it away as Merlin turned his eyes to stare right at him.

"He taught me that a royal shouldn't look down upon their people, but that we are as much servants of the people as the people are for us." Arthur's eyes widened slightly at this since it was the same thing he had heard Merlin say to him when he was his servant. Ever since that first meeting, Merlin had been veering him to get to know his people, to be able to empathize with them, and because of that he now saw them in a new light. He would never say it out loud, but he was grateful for it.

Morgana watched the exchange with happiness, seeing the clear bond that the two had built in the last few years. "He sounds like a very wise man, Merlin."

Hearing this, Merlin gave her a quick smile and replied, "Once this is all settled, I would be happy to introduce you to him."

This brought Arthur back to the matter at hand. "Speaking of that," he exclaimed, getting everyone's attention. He turned his stare to the younger prince and continued, "I'm going to need to know what exactly we are dealing with."

The change was instantaneous. Those who didn't know Merlin would never have noticed how his mirthful eyes morphed to those of clear resolve and pain. His eyes squinted slightly, a touch of steel reflected in their depths, and they were finally able to see the princely demeanor behind the façade.

Nodding curtly Merlin began explaining. "Of course. Well, aside from what you heard, all you really need to know is that it's fast. Incredibly fast. Its claws will cut through the strongest armor, and its saliva is toxic to the touch." As he was saying this, none missed the hand that found its way to his neck, right above where the blackened mark should lay.

Hoping to distract his friend, Arthur interjected. "We should start the search immediately then."

But before he could start walking out the door, Merlin stood up and approached him. "Actually, no."

Hearing Merlin utter this, Arthur couldn't help but roll his eyes. "And why not?" He snapped, not wanting to leave a potentially deadly beast near his people.

Unfazed by his temper, Merlin began to explain. "Well, the beast can't survive in the sunlight, and from my knights' report, it will most likely be licking its wound tonight. It will be hiding underground." Anthea and Eldwin explained all the wounds and damage they had dealt the beast, and he was fairly certain that it would not attack tonight.

"The best course of action would be to wait until tomorrow night to attack." Merlin knew now that the beast had come to Camelot because it was hunting him. His traitorous uncle must have given it one last request before he was killed, and it was now seeking revenge for its master.

Seeing that Arthur was about to argue, Merlin quickly continued on, cutting him off. "Arthur, please believe me when I say that we'll need a plan to succeed." Merlin explained with a seriousness they had never seen in him. "This is not as simple as a regular hunt."

The room fell silent as Arthur examined the younger prince's eyes to see if he could trust him. But he knew right then that Merlin was being completely serious in his warnings, and Arthur was no fool. Merlin had the more experience when dealing with this menace, and he trusted him with the safety of his people just as he had trusted him with his life in the many adventures they had face together over the years. He nodded in agreement, much to Merlin's relief. "Very well, we shall start the hunt tomorrow." As he said this, his face broke into a devious smirk. "In the meantime, you should get ready."

Merlin didn't trust that smile, and really, by the looks of the girls he knew Arthur was up to no good. "Ready? For what?"

Arthur couldn't help but roll his eyes at the prince. "Come on, Merlin. Think!" he exclaimed, but seeing as Merlin only continued to blink blankly, he gave a weary sigh. "You are essentially a visiting royal of a foreign court. And what happens whenever someone like that comes to Camelot?"

A few seconds passed before Merlin realized where this was going. His eyes widened exponentially and gazed at Arthur with despair. "Oh, you **_can't_**be serious."

"Oh, but I **_am_**!" Arthur couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. "You are hereby officially invited to dine with His Majesty this evening."

"I could barely stand all those dinners when I worked as a servant!"

"Yes. And now you'll have to **_actually_** look like you're paying attention for once." Merlin could hear the laughter in his words, but he, being the Prat Prince of Camelot, was too dignified to laugh in the manner he so wished.

Crossing his hand to his chest, Merlin threw him a glare. "Hey! I pay attention!" He exclaimed feverishly, then lowered his voice to mutter, "I just never liked all the official jargon of any royal court, that's all..." But however silently he was, the others were able to hear him and started laughing. A small flush began to spread over his face as he continued to defend himself and to try to get out of such affairs, but the others were quick to disband; Morgana and Gwen saying something about finding his knights and Arthur saying he had princely duties to attend to, leaving a stunned and confused warlock prince in their wake.

* * *

_Me: *laughing evilly* Yes my pretties. Arthur sort of forgave our little prince but do not fret! *giggles and stares sweetly at the two prince's* Deeper secrets will come to light when they face the beast which will further strain their relationship. _

_Merlin & Arthur: *looking at me with fright*_

_Me: *raising a finger in emphasis* But will it be enough to completely destroy their friendship and trust? Will Arthur ever doubt that Merlin is a true friend? Will the band of knights and their respectable prince's survive the confrontation with the beast? And why did the beast **reeeeally **came to Camelot for? Was it to carry out his master's last request or is there something more? Stay tune to find out the answers!_

_Me: Although... Right now I'm working on a few school projects for jobs and I got invited for CloverCon in NJ, so I need to prepare the merchandice for it ... I might get time to write in between... But if you happen to be in the NJ area in June 18, you can personaly come to my booth and flick my ear..._

_Until next time! 8D_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

_Me: *rolling to Merlin and Arthur with singed hair and clothes* *coughing loudly as I dusted my dress from the smog and ashes.* _

_Merlin: *worried while pressing a hand to my back* __**What**__ happened?_

_Me: *raise my head and blinks for a few seconds* I'm… not sure…_

_Arthur: *glares* What do you **mean** you're not sure?_

_Me: *stares at him* All I can remember is that my newest knight was thanking me for accepting her into my knights and then all of a sudden, I saw a Jade Dragon attacking the village. Then a blur of white and then I was with you two…_

_Arthur: A **dragon**?_

_Merlin: *eyes turn softer* Let us help you._

_Me: *shaking my head* __No. I believe my white knight has it cover. The Lady Helen and the Jade Dragon had been discussing back and forth the future of my kingdom. *rolls eyes* I still fail to understand the point of my station when my people believe they can get me to update faster if they threatened my kingdom. And speaking of that… __*turns to __**Jissai**__*_

_Me: *glares and points* Did you and __**DragonGem777 **__unleashed that beast upon my kingdom?_

_**Jissai**__: *shifty look* NooooooOOOOoooo…_

_Me: *glares even further* Didn't you threatened my kingdom with a dragon in your review of Chp 2… *eyes turn gold with fury and magic* You __**DID**__!_

_Merlin and Arthur: *wide eyed and afraid turn to you* __**RUN!**_

_**Jissai**__: Eeeeep! *runs*_

_Me: While I deal with this. __**ENJOY!**_

* * *

The morning sun peered from behind the curtains as Arthur's sleeping form could be seen under his bedcovers. The door creaked open, revealing the petite frame of a woman, the peach fabric of her dress sweeping the floor from side to side as she entered the room. Her head shook in silent reproach at the state of the room, and she quickly began to pick up a few pieces of clothing. Slender fingers made quick work of them, and once she was comfortable with the state of the room, she made her way towards the widows. Grabbing each end of the curtains, she snapped them open, letting the sunlight inside the room.

"Good **_morning _**sire!" Anthea exclaimed, cheerfully and loudly, at the slumbering prince. Having done this many times to Merlin, she didn't expect the reaction she received. As soon as she said this, Arthur's eyes snapped open and, immediately struggling to assess the intruder, his feet got tangled on his covers. It was all she could do to try not to laugh when the tangle mess drove him to the floor, which he met with a painful yelp. He held a hand to his aching head, trying to keep from hissing. He felt a pair of hands trying to help him out of the covers, and he immediately snapped at it.

"Damn it **_Merlin_**!" Arthur said with the usual bite, but as he turned to glare at what he thought was Merlin's usual cerulean eyes, he was faced instead with the recently familiar hazel gold.

"Oh… Forgive me; I thought you were my manservant." Hearing himself as he referred to Merlin as a servant in front of the other prince's second-in-command, he immediately determined it a a bad idea and corrected himself. "I mean the prince…"

Hearing this, Anthea merely gave him a small smile. "It is quite alright, Sire. I understand." Giving him a slight bow of respect, she went about the room and gathered what she assumed was the day's clothes. After handing them to him, she walked towards the other end of the room to give him more privacy. Arthur took the clothes and made quick work of shedding his sleeping attire behind the changing screen.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Anthea heard him ask from behind the screen.

"Well, I assumed that after yesterday's events, my lord would surely forget to make the proper arrangements for your needs."

When Arthur heard her state Merlin's title, he couldn't help but hesitate as he was putting on his shirt. A few seconds passed before he finished dressing himself and stepped away from the screen. "Yes, well… Thank you. I know how scatterbrained Merlin can be."

Upon hearing Arthur's attempt at diffusing the tension in the room, Anthea couldn't help but smile at him. "We had hoped that he would outgrow it, but it seems like it will stay with him forever." Although, she had to admit that it was a relief that he was still the same person.

"Where is he anyway?" Arthur asked with a small grin. "I bet he's still asleep in his new bed. Not that anything's changed there." He began to make his way to the door. There was much to do today, and he needed to start the daily training with his knights.

Although, it was hard to focus on what needed to be done that day since his head was still reeling from the preceding night's events. Last night's events were something he certainly wouldn't forget in the near future. The girls had apparently gone to find Anthea to ask for her help, which she immediately gave. Soon, the trio had managed to drag Merlin into one of the guest rooms and promptly taken the proper measurements for them to dress him for the night. Anthea and Gwen began to work on the design, Anthea telling her some of the traditional embroidery and colors of Oridian, and Morgana gathering the proper fabric and keeping Merlin from running away.

Soon enough, Uther and Arthur were inside the dinner hall, Uther making polite conversation with Eldwin as they waited for Merlin and the others. Morgana and Anthea stepped inside the room, both wearing simple gowns for the evening meal. However, Arthur couldn't believe who he was seeing beside them. The others inside the room rose from their chairs, so he did so as well while staring at the man before him. No longer could he see the cheeky and clumsy servant, his usual brown and blue clothes nowhere in sight. The girls had done a wonderful job with him. Merlin was now wearing a navy blue tunic, which was slightly layered in folds. The military style was subtle, but it was still there. The edges of it were lined with gold and white in intricate patterns. His trousers were almost black, but Arthur could see glimmers of a dark blue when the light hit it right. His normal tan belted shoes were replaced by a darker version of them, the golden buckles gleaming.

But among the blues and gold, he wasn't surprised to see the familiar red scarf resting comfortably on his neck. His body was straight, if not a bit tense from the attention he was getting. His eyes shone with the usual cheerful energy but, also showed a sort of wisdom and confidence that he had hidden during his time as a servant. As his men greeted him warmly and his father began to speak to him about an alliance, Arthur only participated when his father brought him to the conversation, shooting his friend looks of encouragement.

Surprisingly enough, Merlin managed to get through the evening without any complication. His manners and the way he answered Uther's constant questions were perfectly executed, displaying the station he carried and his tact towards the king. As the night ended and the two made their way to their respective rooms, Merlin couldn't help but laugh. Saying goodnight, Arthur disappeared inside his room, and after a few seconds a bout of giggles could be heard from him too, as the anxiety of tonight's events was brought to an end.

He snapped away from his thoughts and back to the present moment when Anthea answered him. "Quite the contrary sire." She stepped in place behind him. "Prince Merlin woke up early this morning to begin the morning training of the knights."

Arthur couldn't help but be surprised when Anthea said this. "Really? Well I suppose he would like to assess the strength of his men as they spar."

"Indeed," she replied. "And I'm happy to say that he has not lost any of his fighting abilities over the years."

This caused Arthur to halt in his step. He turned to stare at her, thinking that he must've misheard. "Merlin is **_training_**? With his **_knights_**? But he can't even raise a sword without **_cutting _**himself!"

Arthur noticed that when he uttered this, Anthea gave him a somber look. "Sire, I assure you, my prince is one of the greatest warriors in Oridian."

Arthur couldn't help but stare at her in disbelief. Merlin, fighting? And one of their best, she said? "You **_have_** to be **_kidding_** me! But he's so **_clumsy_**!"

"My lord had to assume the role of a typical farm boy lest he be ousted as anything else. If he appeared with the military knowledge and abilities of a knight, the truth of his origin might have been discovered, and the traitor might have changed his mind about leaving him alive." Before they passed the border of the kingdom, they had warned him of the possibilities of his uncle not wanting him to run wild. Throughout the years, she prayed each night, hoping he was safe wherever he was. But she was snapped out of her thoughts as the blonde prince continued talking.

"But I've **_trained_** with him! I'm sure I would've noticed if he had the ability to **_fight_**!"

At hearing Arthur utter this, she couldn't help but roll his eyes. Everyone always underestimated her prince when they first saw him. Immediately, she raised a finger to his chest in exasperation. "And that is exactly what makes him such a great fighter." Seeing his startled but confused look, Anthea sighed wearily and elaborated. "As a warrior yourself, if you found yourself in a fight, your first instinct would be to raise your sword and protect yourself, correct?" She took his nodding as her cue to continue.

"Any warrior is trained to follow that instinct and act accordingly, following the enemy's movement to counteract appropriately." As she said this, the two began walking once more.

"But Merlin fights differently. He is capable of seeing every muscle movement that his enemy must make in order to attack and quickly adapt and inflict the proper move accordingly.

"As for you, for him to remain in his character and not hurt you in any of your sparring sessions, he had to override that key instinct and let you land your blows. If he did that, he would know exactly how to fall in order to get the minimum damage." As Anthea explained this, Arthur couldn't help but doubt her words.

"How could you be sure he did that? It could be that I just bested him every time." He didn't want this to be true. It would be one more thing that Merlin lied to him about, not to mention that he himself told Merlin how much he hated being belittled in battle.

"Because sire," Anthea stated in a gentle manner which surprised him, "my prince had to do the exact same thing a couple of times when he was in training." Seeing he was waiting for her to clarify, she continued, "At first, things were not coming along. When his training began, he was falling and loosing every sparring match. It became so bad that he started to get injured by what we thought was his carelessness, and the king had had enough.

"One particular afternoon, when Merlin was injured enough to have to remain in the infirmary, the king came down and asked Merlin what parts of the training he was having trouble with, but to our surprise, and that of the king's, Merlin stated that he didn't have a problem with the lessons. He understood perfectly and knew what to do in every occasion. The thing was, he could see the openings that the others had, but he didn't want to hurt them." Arthur couldn't help but smile at this. Trust Merlin to let others beat him to keep them from the slightest form of pain.

"It was all our king could do to keep himself from laughing at the situation." As she said this, a small bout of laughter could be heard from her lips as she remembered better times. Turning to him she continued with a smile, "Merlin loves his people with all his heart, has ever since he was a little lad. And his love was the very thing that almost got him killed. Once he got himself together, the king talked to Merlin about it, and once he was healed, his training took a sharp turn." Finally nearing the battlements, she neared the end of her explanation, knowing full well that the prince would not entirely understand what she was saying until he saw it for himself.

"Knowing he could control each fight to keep both parties unharmed, Merlin quickly became a true warrior of the court. He was able to subdue enemy soldiers with minimum damage, and he was able to teach future knights without hurting them."

Stopping near one of the tents for the equipment, she gestured to her men with a sweep of her hand. "And here we are sire. What do you think?"

She saw him scanning the fights, trying to figure out which one was Merlin. The white knights were split in two; the three newest members were engaged in a sparring match amongst all three of them. But she could clearly see that their minds weren't fully in the battle. She could see their eyes shifting to the two men fighting a few paces at their side, where Eldwin and Merlin were focused in their own match. Off to the side, she could see the Lady Morgana and the maid Guinevere, as well as a sizable amount of knights and guards of the court. Everyone had their eyes her prince, amazed at the level of agility and strength that he displayed rather than his clumsy façade.

"Impressive. So where is Merlin?"

Knowing her eyes were much sharper than Arthur's, she merely smiled sweetly and waited until they were closer to her prince. "That's him right there."

Following her finger, his eyes widened almost comically when he finally noticed Merlin. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. His clumsy and often distracted friend was nowhere to be seen, a warrior stepping forward instead. Merlin and Eldwin were both fighting with battle staffs, the latter flush with exertion, but he could not see any signs of such exertion on his ex-manservant. They both were wearing simple and comfortable clothing and circling each other. As the two were engaged in battle, Eldwin was clearly on the offensive, but even so it was clear that Merlin was wining. Merlin appeared to be almost dancing; he used his staff to deflect each blow. He was smiling gently, but the concentration could be seen in his eyes, shifting with each of Edwin's minute movements. Eventually, Merlin's body changed to an offensive pose when he saw an opening and swiftly swung his staff against Eldwin's leg. They gave out, and he fell to the ground. The battlements fell completely silent. They had just witnessed Merlin defeat such an imposing warrior that it was almost frightening, until a bout of laughter could be heard coming from said warrior. Smiling at the sound of Eldwin's joyful laughter, Merlin approached his prone figure and held out a hand.

"Sorry about that, Eldwin. I guess I forgot how quickly I lose myself sparring!" When Eldwin took the offered hand, Merlin helped him to his feet, quietly trying to asses if he did any damage to his friend.

Morgana and Gwen moved to join the pair on the sidelines; both were smiling and showing pride for their friend. A few seconds passed before Arthur could snap himself from his stunned state and turn to Anthea. Pointing to the prince sharply, he asked, "**_That's _**Merlin?"

At this, Anthea merely smiled with pride and nodded her head. "Indeed."

Seeing the astonishment in his face Morgana couldn't help herself. "Jealous Arthur?"

Hearing the slight jab of his step-sister, he turned and glared at her, replying with an eloquent, "Shut up." He returned his attention to the two in the field.

Eldwin was smiling at his prince and giving him a bow of respect. "That's alright, Sire. It was my mistake for forgetting how you fought..."

Seeing him bow once more, Merlin sighed tiredly and tried to get him straight. "Eldwin, please stop bowing…"

Hearing his lord's exasperation, he stood up and gave him a gentle but exited smile. "I'm sorry, Sire, but I can't help it!" He exclaimed happily. "To finally be reunited with you after all these years, and finding you alive and well is more than I ever hoped for!" A brief bout of grief made itself known for a second on his face, but not being one to dwell on the past, he quickly put it aside. "And to be able to serve you once again is all but an honor…"

When Merlin heard him say this, he could feel the bubble of warmth inside his chest. Placing a hand on Eldwin's shoulder, he leaned his head slightly to touch his forehead. Following their old tradition, Eldwin leaned in as well. "Believe me. The honor is all mine, old friend."

As the two stepped away from each other, both carrying smiles, Arthur couldn't help the small burst of jealousy coursing through his body. The way the two were acting was that of two friends who were as closed as brothers, and the time they spent away from each other seemed to only strengthen their bond. A bond that he himself had always hoped to achieve with somebody.

He had begun to think that he was achieving that with Merlin, but after yesterday's events, he realized that he knew nothing of him. He was snapped from his thoughts, however, when he heard Merlin's familiar voice shouting for him.

"Oh Arthur!" The prince and his knight walked towards the group, and Merlin's servant brain finally caught up with him. "Oh, no. I forgot to wake you up, didn't I?"

Upon hearing Merlin utter this, Arthur couldn't help but roll his eyes. And here he was beginning to think of him as a warrior. "You think?" Arthur said, glaring at him with less fervor than usual as he gestured to Anthea. "It was thanks to Lady Anthea I even got here, since she at least had half a mind and decided wake me up herself."

"It was no trouble, Sire." After she said this, she immediately turned to Eldwin, glaring. "Now you. You are coming with me."

His eyes immediately widened at her tone. "What did **_I _**do?"

"Do not think I did not see your hobbling around when you walked towards us." She stated sharply. "You, sir, are going to come with me to get yourself checked out."

"Love, I'm fine! I really don't think…" But before he could continue, he stopped when her eyes became ablaze. "…that I should make you wait any more. After you." As he said this, his head slightly bowed, he gestured to the castle for her to lead the way. Raising her head slightly, she began to walk towards the castle making sure Eldwin was following.

The others watched them leave, and Arthur leaned slightly towards Merlin. "They're an odd bunch aren't they?" He asked jokingly.

Merlin nodded his head and answered, "Yeah, but they've been joined at the hip ever since I met them. I'm glad they finally got married." He was glad that even the years of anguish and war in their kingdom did nothing to separate, and he wished them many years of happiness together.

A few seconds passed before Arthur broke the silence. "So…" He began saying as he looked directly at Merlin's eyes. "You can actually fight."

No knowing how to answer that, he decided to be blunt. "Yes."

"When did you find the time to **_actually_**train?" Merlin couldn't help the roll of his eyes when he heard this. Eyeing him square in his eyes he stated. "There was more than one reason why I was too tired in the mornings to wake you up in time."

"And all this time, you just let me win?"

"What! No!" Merlin couldn't help his eyes from widening at the glare. "After all that happened with 'Sir William' do you think I would do that?" As he said this, Merlin couldn't help the shiver that ran through his spine as he remembered that time. He was stretched in so many ways that he had actually had a meltdown in front of his uncle.

Arthur merely eyed him for a few seconds, as if trying to asses something before nodding sharply. "Come on, then." As soon as he said this, he turned to the training field and began to make his way to the staffs.

"What? Arthur where are you -"

"Pick your weapon."

If anything, Merlin's eyes widened even more. "You want to spar **_now_**?"

Having chosen a staff, Arthur walked towards the center of the field, twirling it from hand to hand. "It's about time that we settle who the best fighter of the two is," He stated. "Or are you too afraid that I'm going to embarrass you in front of your men?"

At hearing Arthur's clear determination towards fighting him, Merlin couldn't help but sigh wearily. Even if he knew how to fight in many different styles, the fact of the matter was that he didn't like it. Having the natural ability of slowing time down made it easier for him to fight, but he'd rather fight with his magic to incapacitate his enemies. But he would be kidding himself if he didn't find the opportunity to truly spar to the best of his ability with the prat enticing. Smirking slightly, he went towards the staffs.

"Alright," Merlin stated as he approached the center of the field. Getting into position, he smiled at the blond prince. "This could be fun!"

As soon as he said this, Arthur lunged forward, trying to catch him unaware. But instead of swiping Merlin's legs, Merlin managed to jump and land on the end of the staff. Gently tapping his shoulder with his own staff, Merlin jumped off before Arthur could even push him off. Realizing now that Merlin wasn't going to be that easy to defeat, Arthur straightened himself and smirked at him. Twirling his staff once more, he began to circle Merlin, trying to assess him. With determination in his eyes, he prepared to charge at him once more. He would not make the same mistake again.

* * *

"Incredible," Gaius heard the king utter in astonishment as the two witnessed the fight from the castle.

"The prince appears to have the same level of fighting skills as my son." Uther explained when he saw the confused look on Gaius's face. "I can't believe he is the same bumbling, clumsy boy who scurried after my son all these years."

Feeling the need to respond, but unsure what to say, Gaius simply answered. "Yes, Merlin can always find new ways to surprise us."

"Their fighting styles are far different than ours, and yet they are incredibly fast and agile in their movements." Uther continued his assessment of the white knights. "It almost seems like they're gliding. Our knights are having a hard time trying to catch their movements."

Feeling a slight bout of worry when the king said they were gliding, Gaius pushed it down and schooled his features, not wanting to call any unnecessary attention to it.

Thankfully, the king turned from the balcony and began walking down the corridor, having seen enough. "As I suspected, their alliance will become a great asset to my kingdom. Last night at dinner I could see that whatever Arthur said to him has solidified our ties to Oridian. Once this beast is dealt with, I shall send him with the prince to begin the formal alliance between our kingdoms."

Halting himself from rolling his eyes at the king's obvious greediness, Gaius merely followed behind him. "Of course, Sire."

* * *

As the fighting dragged on, it was clear to those observing that the two princes were evenly matched. Arthur's incessant tries to bring Merlin down had caused the other prince to begin to show signs of distress.

Having had enough, Morgana stepped forward to the two princes. "Will you two give it a **_rest_** already?" She exclaimed loudly, making the two men halt in their spots. "You've been at it for **_hours _**now." She glared at the two who were clearly exhausted but too stubborn to admit it.

A few seconds passed as the two stared at each other. They both realized that they were panting heavily due to exhaustion but knowing Arthur wasn't one to admit defeat, Merlin said the first thing that came to mind. "Want to call it a tie?"

Arthur couldn't help feel relief at this, but he immediately schooled his features before nodding at him. "Tie…"

Smiling in relief, Merlin promptly fell to the ground. "Oh thank the **_gods_**!"

Shaking his head in amusement, Arthur approached the other slowly. Not being able to contain themselves any longer, the girls approached the pair barely able to contain their astonishment. Gwen was the first to speak. "That was **_incredible_**!" Realizing how out of character her outburst was, she flushed.

Morgana, however, simply smiled at her encouragingly and turned to the boys, crossing her arms. "Yes. It isn't every day where I can see someone besting Arthur in a spar."

When Arthur heard Morgana's teasing, he couldn't help but glare at her with indignation. "Merlin didn't **_best_** me! It was a **_tie_**!"

Morgana hardly batted an eye at his tone and winked at him instead. "Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night."

Seeing Arthur was about to begin shouting, Gwen chose to be the mediator and placed a hand on her shoulder, "M'lady, I think it's time we head back. It's almost lunchtime."

Sighing in defeat, Morgana simply nodded. "Alright. We'll see you inside."

As the two watched the girls head to the castle, Merlin sat upright, leaning against one of the boulders nearby. He sensed Arthur sitting down beside him, and they fell into comfortable silence. A few seconds passed before Arthur began speaking.

"That was… good." Arthur winced at how awkward that sounded. The truth was that he was surprised at the level of skills Merlin had demonstrated, but he was unsure if he was supposed to treat him as a fellow warrior or as his old friend.

Sensing his distress, Merlin chose to diffuse the situation the best way he knew. "Well, I'm glad you've enjoyed beating me all the more thoroughly today."

Arthur couldn't help the small fit of laughter as he heard this. Turning to face him, he addressed him, "All this time, you were able to defend yourself while I spent half the battle wondering where your skinny arse ran off to."

Arthur noticed Merlin's eyes sadden immediately. "You don't know how hard it was for me to let you all fight alone every time when I knew I could be of help…" As he said this, Merlin lowered his head in shame. Even though he had kept Arthur from harm with his magic, he couldn't help but think of those who died in the many ambushes and battles that he had been in.

"Stop." At this, Merlin raised his head to look at Arthur, wide eyed. "It's ok. I understand what you had to do, and now that there are no more secrets between us we can focus on helping you get back to your kingdom."

Arthur turned to stare at the castle, and so he failed to catch the guilty wince that Merlin in turn failed to stop. He unknowingly reached for his neck as he answered, "Thank you…"

Not noticing the change of his tone, Arthur turned around and patted his shoulder roughly. "Well, come on!" He exclaimed to the startled prince. "I don't know about you, but I am starving! We can begin planning the hunt after we eat." Hearing Arthur's stomach groan in agreement, Merlin couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll race ya!"

Stunned for a second at his challenge Arthur's face broke slowly into a smile as he nodded, "You're on!"

* * *

_Me: *ginning happily while __**Jissai's **__stands in the corner* Alright then! I hope I've explained Merlin's ability to fight ok. I mean, it makes sense since he is able to manipulate time since like… forever. _

_*shifty eyes* _

_Don't judge me… I needed a way to get him into the fight! And besides… *grins*_

_I just find it incredibly awesome and smexy!_

_Until next time! And see! I can make my muse behave! Honest! So no need to storm my kingdom any further *mutters* bloody dragon…_

**_- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - !SPOILERS FOR SERIES 4! - - - - - - - - - - - - - !AVERT YOUR EYES IF YOU WISH TO REMAIN COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _**

**_..._**

**_..._**

_*giggles*_

_Me: *grins* I love Colin Morgan. Have I ever mention that I love Colin Morgan? Well, I **LOOOOOOVE** COLIN MORGAN! I LOVE LOVE **LOOOOOOOOOOVE** HIIIIIMMMMMM! 8D_

_Colin, the angel that he is, confirmed that the show will start in september or october of **this year**! _

_And even **more** awesome is the fact that executive producer Johnny Capps confirmed that they got the usual 13 episode line-up instead of the dreaded 10! _

_:D_

_All is right with the world~~~_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

**_EDIT ~ ~ ~_**

**_Ahhhhh! I am SOOOOO sorry! I completly forgot that I wanted to give a shout out to a great upcoming writer! *trumpets sound in the back as I clear my throat*_**

**_People and readers of my humble kingdom! I pressent to you Winters-Feather! While her kingdom is now small, I believe she will thrive and expand to great lenghts!_**

**_Best of wishes to you young writer!_**

_Me: *eye twitching while I hastily take some sticky notes from the wall, only to rearrange them in a different place* *eyes twitch some more*_

_Merlin&Arthur: *blink and look at each other in confusion* *Arthur gestures to Merlin to step forward* *Merlin glares but does as such*_

_Merlin: *gently* Uhm… Are you alright?_

_Me: *turns to face Merlin and grasps both of his shoulders making him jump* How?_

_Merlin: *nervous* How what?_

_Me: *eyes twitch and I give a deep sigh while turning to the wall again* How is it possible that whenever I'm getting to the end of one of your stories, my muse goes into overdrive and begins to fabricate a hundred more! _

_*blinks for a second and huffs exasperatedly while shaking my head* Ok, so out of the hundred I get like 1 or 2 that I can nurture to have an actual plot but come __**ON**__! *turn to the pair and glares at them* Right now I have 5, yes __**5 bloody stories**__ for your fandom that I need to write! _

_And yes, I actually need to write them or else my bloody muse won't __**shut. **__**UP**__! *falls to the floor and whimpers*_

_Merlin: *turns to look at Arthur and gestures for him to speak*_

_Arthur: *glares at him and steps forward patting my shoulder awkwardly* Come on now… It can't be __**that**__ bad?_

_Me: *looks at him teary eyed* Do you realize that I only started this fandom because I needed a __**short**__**break**__ from Psych? It's been almost a bloody __**year **__and I __**still**__ haven't been able to pry myself __**away**__ from you two!_

_Me: *looks at shaky hands with a small smile* It's just that… there is __**so**__ much potential for angst and torture! So much potential for hurt, comfort and curses! So much potential for blood…_

_Merlin&Arthur: *scared and begin to walk away slowly*_

_Merlin: *afraid* Okkk… W-well, we better l-leave you to it! *runs of screen*_

_Arthur: *nervous* Right... uh… *runs after Merlin*_

_Me: *ignores them and goes back to looking at the wall and begins to shift more notes* *waves hand at the readers* Enjoys and whatnot… _

* * *

Almost as soon as they finished with their afternoon meal and rested their weary muscles both princes called upon their knights. Arthur began explaining the pattern of search: he would split five of his best knights into two teams and they, along with the princes and Merlin's knights, split accordingly, would form into two teams of six and begin the search from the point where the white knights lost sight of the beast. Arthur was pleasantly surprised by Merlin's demeanor at the meeting. His normal goofy and laidback character morphed to that of pure concentration and silent assessment of the map. When Arthur was declaring which parts they should cover, Merlin sometimes interjected with his own input. Once the two had stated their plan to their men, Arthur told them to begin putting on their armor and to meet them at the gates in an hour.

As they saw the others leave the room, it dawned on Arthur that Merlin didn't have any armor, let alone the time to get a suit fitted, but, as if Merlin could read his mind, he simply shrugged and told him that Anthea had something prepared for him before walking towards Anthea's room.

When Merlin met with his childhood protector, he was surprised to find both her husband and Guinevere also there. The latter two had an air of excitement that had Merlin wondering if he shouldn't just turn around and try finding and hiding behind his uncle. But before he could do anything, Eldwin quickly pull him inside, and Gwen closed the door. However, all became clear and his anxiety left him as Anthea gestured to a familiar looking chest on the bed. Taking this as encouragement to continue, Anthea nodded to Eldwin as he opened the chest for their young lord to see. Merlin's eyes widened as he eyed the shimmering metal inside the chest. He raised a slightly shaking hand as his fingers brushed against the sturdy white metal of battle armor.

"Y-you're kidding me…" Anthea could only smile as she and Gwen began to dress him in his armor. But thanks to the incredible properties of the rare metal it wasn't just any old armor. The white metal contained small levels of magic that gave whoever wore it some sort of magical defense. For those who tried to slash its way through the armor however, it appeared as if their armor was almost indestructible and unable to rust or run down with time. However unlikely it may be, this was _his _old armor. The one that he had before he was forced to leave his home.

"Once your father gained back his throne, he made sure to re-model your armor before we set out to search for you and the beast." Merlin couldn't help but smile gently at the thought of his father. His must have known that the feel of Merlin's old armor would give him a sense of familiarity and comfort that he would need in the road ahead. It was all he could do To shake his head in amazement at his father's intuition.

"Guinevere was happy to assist me in applying the proper modifications to it," he heard Eldwin state as Anthea began placing the shoulder pieces on him. Merlin noticed that the piece resembled that on his knights. "But it really wasn't that drastic of a change seeing as you've remained as thin as ever." Merlin simply gave him a mocking glare as he felt the girls finish with his armor.

As the two stepped back, Merlin began to test out the movement of the suit. Finding no trouble, he turned to the others with a calm smile and sought Gwen's eyes. He gave her a shy, thankful smile which she returned, her eyes showing how proud she was as she looked at her friend. Merlin stood in front of them, white metal armor gleaming with Oridian's emblem proudly upon his chest. Anthea and Eldwin began stepping outside, taking Gwen with them and leaving the young prince to his thoughts.

As they left, Merlin stepped closer towards the chest on the bed and picked up his sword. Well, a blade would be a more accurate description. Ever since he was a child, his father knew that if he was to wield a sword, it would have to be something unique to meet his fighting style. Because of that, he had requested that their blacksmith create a sword that was between a long sword and a great sword. It had a double handle, one onto of the other, so that Merlin could grasp the sword as he would a fighting staff. That gave him the leverage of controlling the swords movement and speed which he was thankful for. Sheathing his sword into its scabbard to his side, his eyes hovered at the final piece inside the chest. His fingers brushed against the familiar metal inside the crate, but he reluctantly closed the crate with a small tinge of sorrow. He shook his head slightly, knowing that it wasn't the time for it. Looking out of the window, he noticed that the sun was starting to make way for the moon, and he made his way to the gate.

Once he arrived he had to stifle a laugh when Arthur's eyes widened at his appearance. He supposed he looked quite different with his own armor and sword in place. As soon as Arthur snapped out of his shock, he called for his knights and they began to move out.

Once the group had arrived at the starting point, they split up Anthea and Eldwin staying with their prince as Merlin followed Arthur, Sir Leon and Sir Kay. As they got a bit further into the dense forest, the moon had already appeared in the night sky and Anthea and Eldwin shared a pointed look before glancing at their prince with slight worry. They had noticed that Merlin had been messing with his scarf, as if the scar was bothering him in some way. A few seconds passed before they both stop in the middle of the path, bringing everyone's attention.

"What's wrong?" asked Arthur, his senses on edge, thinking that they had seen the beast nearby.

But the two remained silent as they both stared at their prince, who was eyeing them with a calculating look. A few seconds passed before Merlin gave them a brief nod and began to walk forward, leaving the two knights of Camelot and their prince confused. Merlin's knights following him without a word.

Before Arthur could ask what just happened, he heard Merlin's deadpan voice amongst the trees.

"… This way."

* * *

_Me: *grins* Can you guys guess as to what was inside the chest that Merlin was so drawn to? *sighs* And yes, I know this wasn't as long as I would've liked but the last 3 chapters will be looooooog! I swear! _

_Me: *claps knees together and whimpers slightly while rocking back and forth* Good __**LORD**__! Now it's up to __**6**__! *Suddenly grins manically at Merlin* Oh, but it was __**WORTH**__ it! _

_So what if I was weak enough to look at the spoilers to soon? It made for some interesting imagery for our lovely warlock! Now I __**reaaaaaaaallllllly**__ can't wait for the season premier! *is exited*_

_**NEWS OF THE 3**__**RD**__** INSTALMENT OF MY DESTINY SERIES!**_

_Me: *gasps dramaticaly* What? **Me** giving you any news about __**'Crystal Trials'**__? The world must be going __**mad**__! *sighs*_

_But I do need to ask you something. Do you know of any way that I can bring Gwen's brother into the story? Because I am stump! I mean, I even got Percival into it but I still can't find a way to bring him in! Or do you even want him at all? I mean... is he reaaaally that important?_

_Anyway! Until next time!_


	8. Chapter 8

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

_Me: *hiding behind her sofa throne* Ok. Before you all start killing me for how late this is... It was all my Beta's fault..._

_Although technically she had finals so, it's the systems fault… so… yeah….._

_Enjoy?_

* * *

Arthur noticed how Merlin was rubbing his neckerchief from time to time. He saw the slightly pained expression that appeared on his face, as if something was burning him while their group walked deeper into the forest. He was trying to understand what had just happened to his friend. When he noticed the way the two knights stopped suddenly and gazed at their prince with conflicting emotions in their eyes, he put the pieces together. He knew what it meant, the way Merlin was holding himself, his eyes flinching from the pain emanating from his neck, and the others following him without question.

Not being able to contain himself any longer, Arthur approached the younger prince and broke the uncomfortable silence that had befallen the group. "So," He stated casually, the rest of the knights hanging back to give them some privacy. He thanked them silently and joined his friend up front. "Are you finally going to tell me how the burning of your scar is connected to the fact that you seem to know where you're going?"

When Arthur said this, Merlin's eyes widened in shock, and he came to a dead stop. He didn't think of Arthur as the most observant person- after all, he still had his head on his shoulders and his magic still a secret. "What? What do you mean?"

Arthur couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I **_have_** eyes, **_Mer_**lin!" It was all Merlin could do to keep himself from laughing at his statement, but noticing a rare concern in Arthur, he sobered up immediately. "Tell me what's going on," he egged.

Seeing Arthur wasn't going to rest until he had an answer, Merlin sighed in defeat before continuing walking down the path. "When I was running away from my kingdom, I felt a painful burning sensation on my scar," he absentmindedly reached a hand to rub the aforementioned spot. "At first I thought that it was because I had just been cursed, but as soon as I got away from the beast, it began to recede until it only left the scar." As Merlin spoke, Arthur noticed his eyes took a distant look, no doubt remembering that painful night.

* * *

"_This way!" He heard Eldwin scream over the sounds of destruction in the background. Merlin's lungs screamed in protest as his slender legs continue to run. He felt as if his throat was on fire, the muscles and connective tissue of his neck was still slightly torn by the beast's claws. But he pushed the pain away, his mind focused on the task ahead. _

_He had to run. His people were in danger by him just staying close to them. He wished that Anthea and Eldwin had listened to him and staid back, but his two closest friends had heard none of it. Both of them had quickly picked him up when he was too stunned by what the beast had just done, and they ran towards the town. On their way out of the city, Merlin managed to sight his childhood nurse. The woman who had been a mother to him when his own was gone. Hunith had been a mother to him since the beginning, always willing to listen when the burdens of his title became too much. She gave him all the love and care her heart could muster, always willing to tell him stories of his late mother._

_Right then, he knew he had to keep her safe, so he immediately went towards her, noticing how his curse was already affecting her and all the rest. As she took in his bleeding and blackened neck, he told her of the situation and asked her to come with them. Nodding in repl,y the group began to set outwards once more and away from their home. _

_Merlin snapped away from his musing when he heard Hunith's strangled yelp as she fell to the ground._ "_Hunith!" he cried in worry as he went to her, placing his hands around his shoulders. She raised her head towards him, meeting his concerned eyes. "Are you ok?" _

_Hunith hadn't wished to upset the boy she thought of as her son any further than what she had already done, so she gave him a weary smile. _"_I am fine, m'lord, but we need to get you pats the border." Hunith began to get on her feet with his help, patting his hand in comfort. _

_Merlin's gaze never wavered, knowing that she was lying. Her forehead was brimming with sweat, her breath was labored and raspy, as was the others', but their eyes were his main concern. All of their eyes were glassy and unfocused. It was as if their bodies were battling an infection, but no clear wound could be seen. Nodding once, he turned around and faced the others trying not to let his concern stop them. _"_Of course…"_

_And as if a switch was turned on, his knights fell into action once more. He noticed gratefully that Eldwin was taking up the rear while keeping an eye on Hunith. Soon enough, the moon appeared upon the blackened sky, just as their group was nearing the border. Merlin made a mad dash towards it, praying to the gods that he wasn't too late. His heart was beating as fast as a hummingbird's wings, knowing deep inside of him that some of the eldest people within his kingdom could have died by the time he reached it. Once he finally was sure that his body was outside the kingdom's borders, his knees gave out, and he fell to the ground, the metal of his armor clanking softly upon the grass. Before he could regain his breath, the others caught up to him, and his eyes roamed their faces with fear.  
_

"_Did it work?" They heard their prince beg for an answer, before Anthea was even anywhere near him. _

_As she got closer, he noticed her eyes were beginning to clear up. "Yes, our strength is returning." _

_Hearing this was as if a great weight was lifted off his shoulder,s and his eyes brimmed with unshed tears. _"_Oh, thank the gods!" he exclaimed, voice wavering from sheer relief. But even though his people were safe from him, he knew that this was still far from over. His uncle had betrayed the crown, but most importantly, he betrayed his family. _

_However, as much as he would like to fight to regain his kingdom, Merlin knew that he would be unable to be any help. Stepping behind a large tree, he began to take off his armor, knowing that he would be unable to carry it where he was going. When he had finished, he noticed how the others looked at him with solemn eyes. The only things he had on him were the boots of his armor, his tan slacks, and the comfortable red tunic he hand underneath his armor. Walking towards Anthea, Merlin handed the rest of his armor to her. "Here. I won't be able to bring it with us." _

_Despite his defeated tone, Anthea merely gave a sigh and took the proffered armor. As they were running, they had decided that Merlin would remain in hiding in a far village with Hunith as his guardian, but it still hurt her deeply having to see her young prince having to hide from everybody he cared for._ "_We'll set out and find your father," she stated. "By my calculations he will return in a few days. That would give us plenty of time to inform him of his broth- the **traitor's **actions." _

_Hearing the venom in her words, Eldwin continued instead,_ _"The amount of casualties that his men endured in the campaign will determine how fast we can plan on taking back the crown."  
_  
"_But I can't join him since you all will hide inside the kingdom…"_

_Hearing his sorrow in his voice, both knights stepped closer to their young prince, trying to comfort him in any way they could. Eldwin placed a hand on his shoulder to gain his attention. _"_We will do our best to expedite our attack Merlin… but it will take time." So swearing to his young lord, he was surprised when the look in Merlin's eyes changed from sorrow to that of utter faith._

"_Of course." Merlin stated bluntly, and with such fervor that it startled the two. "I have the outmost confidence that you will find us wherever we take refuge." After he said this, his eyes darkened once again as he lowered his head. _"_And tell father I'm sorry… for not being able to defend our home." The sheer defeat in his voice almost broke their heart; they knew he would blame himself for the takeover.  
_

"_Sire, we were surprised and overpowered. There was nothing we could've done." Merlin heard Eldwin state, and he knew what he was trying to do, but he couldn't help it. He wasn't going to be at peace until he knew his people were safe and his father was back in power. _

_Shaking his head, he gestured the two knights towards the north._ "_You must go now." They were about to argue, so Merlin tried to sound more forceful. "**Now**!" _

_Hearing the so rarely used tone in his voice, they knew that their prince wanted his order to be carried out. Nodding slightly, Eldwin merely patted his shoulder slightly, and Anthea united their foreheads together, the two staying in that position for a few seconds before she started walking to the north, where their king was about to receive some devastating news._

_Once Merlin couldn't see the two of them anymore, he turned around and gestured to Hunith that they needed to keep moving. At her nod, he began to walk in the opposite direction from the one that the others had taken. Away from his father and his kingdom, unable to lift a finger to aid the king against his traitorous brother, his deepest concern was the safety of his people. With his uncle now at the seat of power, who knew what he would do to the kingdom now that Merlin and his father were out of his way. He never could help the feeling that there was something off about his uncle, and now, too late, he managed to see the true evil inside of him. _

_But now his heart wept._

_His heart wept for his people. How he had failed to protect them, and how because of that failure they were going to be facing incredible hardships until his father could manage to regain the crown. And he was no fool; his uncle had prepared this to the point that Merlin knew it would take a long time for his father to take back the throne. _

_Noting that they had covered considerable ground, he turned to look at Hunith. Even thought the curse had stopped and she had gotten her bearings, she still wasn't accustomed to walking such long distances. _"_Let's rest for the night." _

_Hunith smiled trying, to hide her weariness, not wanting to slow her prince down. "I'm ok, m'lord, we should keep going -"  
_

"_Please, I insist." Merlin replied with a small smile, knowing well what she was doing. "I'll go get us some water and firewood. In the meantime, please rest."_

_Knowing he wasn't going to relent, she merely sighed in defeat and smiled after him as he went ahead to find the wood. _

_As Merlin ventured further out, he quickly remembered were he last saw a nearby river and a bush brimming with fresh berries. When he arrived at the site, he quickly hollowed out a thick piece of wood with his magic and filled it with water. He then picked up as much berries as he could, levitated some pieces of wood with his magic, and made his way back to their small camp. Once he arrived with all of the necessities, they began to build a small fire, which Merlin lit with his magic once more. _

_As they were eating the berries and drinking the water, Merlin decided to break the silence that had befallen the two. _"_Please forgive me." Her head shot up as she heard the pain in his voice. "You are running from your home because I was unable to defend it…" As his voice drifted off, his eyes fell to the floor, too ashamed to look her in the eye. _

_But after a few seconds, he heard her firm tone. _"_Merlin, please look at me." The request was gentle, but with such firm resolve behind it that he found himself compelled to obey her. As he raised his head slightly, he felt her soft hand under his chin, lifting it up until their eyes met. He was surprised to see the look of loyalty and love in her eyes. "You have nothing to feel sorry for. Whatever responsibilities you may have you are still a boy. A boy who I have seen grow a little more each and every day, who I've had the pleasure to take care of as if you were my own child." As she said this, she gave him a gentle hug, trying to convey the love and affection she felt for him, hoping it would give him strength._

_A few seconds passed before she felt his rigid body melt into her embrace, and then she continued, _"_As long as I am with you and know that you are safe, I will remain happy." Hearing this coming from her with such devotion, Merlin started to believe her, felt the layers of guilt and pain begin to fade away. _

_They broke apart, and Hunith began rummaging through her small bag, her face breaking into a small smile when she found what she was looking for. His eyes fell upon a thick strip of blue fabric that he assumed was a neckerchief. He noticed her eyes roam his abused neck, and he understood that she wanted to give him a sense of safety from prying eyes. He gratefully let her tie the rough fabric around his neck. _

_Raising his head, he smiled brightly at her. _"_Thank you. But you know what this means, right?" Noting the change in his mood, she simply shook her head in reply as his smile became bigger. "I finally get the perfect excuse to call you mother in front of everyone!"_

* * *

"I didn't give it much thought after Mother and I escaped, but now that I know it's near, I can say for certain that the burning can guide us directly to it." He hoped that Arthur would just leave it at that and understand his reasoning. As he explained before, he had pushed the tugging and burning sensation he felt when he was in the presence of the beast to the corners of his mind to get past the borders as fast as possible before, but he knew now that it was most definitely a link to the beast.

"Alright."

Hearing the simple reply, Merlin had to stop for a second to see if he had heard right. "What, that's it?" he asked, stunned. "You're **_actually _**letting me take charge?"

Hearing the disbelief in his tone, Arthur glared at him as the others got closer. "Well **_don't_** sound so surprised! - -"

Merlin barely heard Arthur continue with his rant; he tried his best to hide the mirthful grin that it had provoked, thankful for the brief distraction. But soon, sounds seemed to blur together, and the burning sensation became stronger than ever.

"… and let me tell you something - -"

The burning sensation was like flames that kept rising higher. Pushing out with his senses, both magical and human, he grasped his throat to calm the pain as he closed his eyes to try and pinpoint the beast's location.

"Quiet," he heard himself murmur, trying to concentrate, but it seemed Arthur still hadn't realized what was happening.

"And **_now_** you're telling me to be quiet? **_You're _**the one who usually-"

Merlin's eyes snapped opened quickly as he unsheathed his sword. "Arthur, shut **_up_**!"

The blond finally realized what was happening.

"He's charging this way quickly."

When he heard this Arthur, quickly turned to his men. "Leon! Kay! Take positions!"

Nodding slightly, they began to take place behind the trees as Merlin turned to his knights. "Anthea! Eldwin! As soon as he is on sight make sure to-" But before he could finished he heard a sickening cackle in the air coming from behind the bushes in front of them.

"…_Heheheh…"  
_  
"Who's there? Show yourself!" demanded Arthur in the general direction of the rustling leaves.

He failed to see the faces of both the white knights and Merlin. Their pallor had turned ghostly pale as they recognize the sound of the laughter. "Impossible…"

Arthur turned to look at Anthea, not knowing what was going on. Suddenly, the leaves from the bushes that were once a lively green began to turn sickly brown as dark tendrils made their way towards the group. The massive form of a wolf, its ruff as dark as the deepest of midnight skies, stepped out of the foliage. Its snout sneered an evil smile, its yellowed fangs dripping with poison, and its eyes were completely filled with a sickly yellow.

As it approached the group slowly, to the surprise of everyone, it opened its mouth and spoke sweetly, "_My my my, how've you grown little one."_

Merlin recoiled as if he was physically hurt. He screamed at Eldwin without taking his eyes off the beast, "I thought you said he was dead!"

Not allowing the knight to respond, the beast laughed again and answered in its hollowed voice, "_Oh, it's just like them to assume… Never taking the time to make certain of a fact…"_

Arthur grasped his sword tighter as he listened to the beast talk, and by the looks of his companions, he was starting to see who exactly they were dealing with.

Ignoring the knights of Camelot, the beast turned to stare at Merlin once again."_Like when I followed your every move since I cast you out." _The beast seemed to thrive on the amount of fear he could create in the young prince's' eyes before eyeing him with something vaguely akin to surprise. _"Although… I have to say… I was hoping that you'd survived on your own…" _

"It can't be." Merlin heard Anthea whisper behind him, but he ignored her. He only had eyes for the beast before him.

The beast, however, turned towards her and sneered, thirsting for revenge. "_It gives me great satisfaction in taking revenge on my dear brother for what he did to me."_

"How…"

The beast turned again towards the raven-haired prince and interrupted. "_How did I survive?" _it asked sarcastically as its shadowy tendrils began to unite and slowly weave together into some sort of form, what appeared to be a human torso attached to the back of the beast. The slithering tendrils made up his hair, which came to the middle of his back. As his eyes opened, their color was the same as his human body, a piercing gold, and they stared at the young prince as he stroked the beast's fur. _"This little animal has served more than one purpose… Before they so brutally killed me, my spirit latched onto its simple mind." _

He stopped stroking as he turned to the others excitedly."_You should be honored!" _he exclaimed, a tinge of hysteria in his voice. He had gone completely insane. _"I've chased after your vile stench for miles just to get the chance of finishing you off. After all, if I had killed you on that glorious day, my brother would've been too heartbroken to fight me for the crown…" _

Sensing he was done talking, the others prepared themselves to fight. But all Merlin could do was stare at the beast. Or was it his uncle? The traitor? His own blood? But amongst those thoughts, and before he could prepare himself, he saw it rear on its legs, preparing itself to pounce on him.

"_Now come and give your uncle a hug!"_

* * *

_Me: *grining evily* Now for the fight! Until! (looks at watch) Oh just wait a few minutes._


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

_Me: Muhahahahaaaa! Over 7000 words! This has to make up for the long hiatus right?_

_..._

_..._

_Right?_

_*sigh* Enjoy..._

* * *

"Merlin, look **_out_**!"

Merlin heard Arthur calling out for him to move, but he was unable to. The sheer realization that his traitorous uncle was still alive and had hunted him through countless kingdoms was overwhelming. Even though he had forced on him inexplicable evil before, the feeling of betrayal still hurt him. Now, as he watched the yellowed claws of the beast now in mid-air and about to kill him, he found himself immobilized by it. He felt somebody tackle him out of the way. Both their bodies fell to the ground as the beast struck the tree trunk behind them. It snapped Merlin back into action, and he finally saw who had saved him.

"What's wrong with you?" Arthur snapped at him while rising back into a defensive pose. "Look, I know this is unexpected, but you need to get your head together if you're going to be of any help here."

A bout of fear ran through Merlin's spine upon realizing that he put everybody in danger by freezing in front of the beast. It was because of him that they were risking their lives, and he would be damned if he was going to remain a victim of it.

"Right." Taking his sword from the ground, Merlin looked at Arthur and gave him a slight nod, his eyes steeling immediately as he turned to face the beast.

Taking this as a signal, Arthur immediately turned towards the trees where his knights where waiting for his orders. "Leon! Kay! Take up the rear!" Before Arthur even finished speaking, the two knights eagerly ran towards their appointed post, wanting to be of use. Realizing what Arthur was planning, Merlin shouted to his knights.

"Anthea! Eldwin!" No further word was needed; both knights immediately nodded and took place on either side of the beast, leaving the two princes to face the beast head on. The beast suddenly jumped up from the broken tree and growled at the group. Its muzzle snapped as it growled and its saliva dripped onto the splintered bark, burning it as it fell.

Then chaos broke loose. As the princes gave their orders, all the warriors began attacking from every direction. Sensing this, the hollowed shadowy tendrils that made up the husk of the traitor's body raised a black hand upwards and hundreds of tendrils shout out from the body, beginning to strike out at the knights. Leon and Kay began to hack away the tendrils on their side, struggling not to fall back whenever the surge of black magic vibrated though their swords. Anthea had already untangled her chain and was twirling it around at an incredible speed as her body dodged the tendrils that were smashing around her. Her blade sliced through the black muscle, and her body moved as if she was dancing. Eldwin used his great sword and his stature to his advantage, hacking away the tendrils and managing to get in a few lucky shots to the body of the beast.

Arthur and Merlin hacked away on the front, but the way they were fighting was nothing short of unbelievable. Their movements synchronized to the pace of the other; no communication was needed between the two. The look of pure concentration was shared between them as they each complemented the other's strengths and weaknesses, Merlin allowing Arthur to give the more devastating strikes while Arthur allowed Merlin room for surprise strikes and defensive moves. The beast was becoming desperate in its attack, swinging more frantically than efficiently as more of its blood spilled onto the ground. Suddenly, the group saw the beast leap upwards as it landed on a tree, its leaves browning immediately at his touch. Merlin saw the husk of his uncle's torso lean sharply at them and giving them a sinister smile, sickly glowing yellow matter dripped from its torn mouth.

"_Good!"_ Its hollowed voice resounded around the battle grounds as the others gather their breaths._ "You've gotten better in your foot work!"  
_

"I learned from the best," Merlin answered, surprising himself with the amount of venom in his voice, but he stood his ground as he kept his gaze to the beast.

"_Yes, my brother is a great swordsman. But he is still weak against our enemies."  
_

"What you call weakness we call compassion!" Anthea's voice could be heard by all as she defended her king, but the husk turned to her and glared.

"_My brother was a blind **fool**!" _He shouted angrily as he gestured at the air. _"He had the strongest army in all the realms at his disposal and yet he **chose** to freeze the rightful progress of his kingdom! If he would've just listened to me, Oridian would have taken over half of Albion by now!"_

Hearing this, Eldwin's head snapped to him, "**_That's_** why you betrayed us? For **_power_**?"

Hollowed golden eyes turned to glare at him in return. "_It was my **duty** as a child of Oridian to take it to its rightful place, ruling over **every** kingdom of the realm!" _He declared as he once again turned towards Merlin. _"That is why I had to take action. You and your father were **never** going to do what was necessary for the kingdom, but because of the constant distractions of my brother trying to regain it, I **failed** in doing so!" _At this, the shell of its torso turned to look at Merlin with an almost feral gaze.

Merlin felt energy building inside of the beast, and his stomach dropped. Something was wrong._  
_

"_But I will **not** let someone as simpleminded as you stop me from **achieving** that goal!"_ His hand rose, directed towards Merlin, fingers clenching at the air. The attention of the others was on him, confused, and they didn't notice how the young prince's eyes widened.

Fire. Ferocious fire burning at his insides unlike anything he had ever felt before. The burning sensation from before paled in comparison to this. He could feel the scar on his neck moving, slithering around as the black magic inside of it spread. Fires, roaring ever higher inside of him, their fury like a poison, liquid fire in his veins that froze him where he stood.

"Merlin?" Arthur call out to him in the distance, but the buzzing in his ears was impossible to ignore. Tremors ran throughout his body as he felt himself fall to the ground, his mind incapable of thinking or reacting in any other way than to wither from pain. He tried to reach for his magic, but the curse laid its dark poison around it, making it almost impossible for him to reach it.

He was vulnerable.

The others immediately went to his side, their eyes anxiously eyeing the prone body of the young prince. Arthur saw Merlin's eyes widen, hollow, his body was stiff but trembling as if it was under great strain. He was clearly in pain, and it was killing him being unable to help him. Behind them, they heard the beast jumping from the tree and landing a few paces away from them.

"_I will kill **every** single one of you and bring the little prince's carcass **back** to my kingdom! I will give your father one last glimpse of you before I take back what is rightfully **mine**!"_ _  
_

"No!" Arthur and the rest turned their heads towards Eldwin as he shouted in response. They could see the anger boiling out from his body as he glanced at the frozen body of his prince. He saw the way Merlin's eyes were screaming, shouting in pain at whatever that animal was doing, and he was unable to create a mental connection. Turning his head towards the beast, his eyes were filled with hatred. "Whatever you may think, you will **_not _**leave Camelot alive. Even if we have to die in the process, we will protect our kingdom and the rest of Albion from your tyranny!"

"_Is that so, little one?" _He sniped sarcastically as it found his threats amusing. _"Pray tell, how **are** you going to do so when I could easily strip your **flesh** from your body?" _Hearing the taunt and clear mirth in his voice, Eldwin could take it no longer. Clenching his sword, he ran forward, ignoring the shouts from the others as he swung at its head. However, the beast knew what was coming and its tendrils immediately shot forward, taking advantage of the fury-blind carelessness of the knight and wrapped itself around his midsection. Eldwin gave out a yelp of pain as the dark tentacle wrapped itself around him and raised him upwards. He could feel it squeezing his midsection harder and harder as he kept struggling trying to loosen its grasp.

Seeing her husband foolishly confronting the beast head on, Anthea immediately fell into action. Her chain swung around her as she tried to get to her beloved, but she too fell victim to the dark tendrils. With a painful yelp, she was dragged along the ground before striking a hollowed tree before she too was hanging helpless. But she would not go without a fight; her chain began to swirl around, the blade striking blackened skin.

Arthur, Kay and Leon remained by Merlin's side, trying to protect him from the approaching tentacles but they quickly proved to be too much. They were each taken over the beast's head and swung around wildly. They tried to hack away the tentacle that was holding each of them aloft, but when they managed to do any damage more tendrils simply reinforced its hold.

Merlin couldn't do anything as he saw how the beast captured each of his friends. A lone tear fell from his eye as he heard the pained grunts and gut wrenching screams that the warriors emitted when the beast increased the pressure around them. He had to help them somehow, but each time he moved, his body was engulfed by the fire of the curse. However, amongst the crackling laughter of the beast and the screams of pain from the knights, Merlin swore he could hear Arthur shouting.

"**_Merlin_**!" Arthur shouted, trying to get the attention of his friend, but he immediately felt the tendril around him tightening. "You lazy **_idiot_**! Don't tell me you are going to let this **_thing _**beat you? What of everything that you and I have faced in all the years we've know each other?" Tendrils made their way to his neck, and he had just enough time to place a hand in between the two, making a sort of barrier between them but not by much. His neck was constricting with every second that passed by, but he needed to help his friend. If for nothing more than to allow him the chance to escape alive.

"You are s-**_stronger_** than a stupid curse!" he shouted as his voice broke. "For once in your life, **_think _**of something! Or I swear I'll search for you in the afterlife, and I will strangle you myself!"

Hearing this, Merlin immediately felt something snap inside of him. His magic finally managed to find a crack amongst the dark poison of his curse and was beginning to leak outwards, ridding him of pain and allowing him to move, little by little. Second by agonizing second, Merlin regained enough control to begin to move. The beast seemed to realize this but only eyed him with a bored expression, confident that he would just fall down.

"_It's no use!"_ He stated bluntly as he saw with confusion that the prince was still rising. _"Just die!"_

Arthur noticed with elation that Merlin was finally able to stand up.

Steeling himself and letting his magic envelope him, dousing the roaring fire inside of him, Merlin stared at the beast head on."T-that's e-enough…" Merlin's voice quivered from the recent abuse, but he could already notice that whatever dark magic had taken hold of him was long overpowered by his own.

But the beast was too busy laughing at him to notice. "_Oh?" _He asked complacently as he began circling him._"And what are you going to do about it?" _

Merlin would have been laughing at that if the situation wasn't so dire. This echo of his uncle believed that he was still dealing with the impressionable and naïve child that he once was. He, who over the years had his magic increase at such a rate that it astounded himself. He, who defeated the high priestess Nimueh by calling the very core of raw lightening. He, who managed to defeat and imprison Cornelius Sigan and his darkest of magic. He has protected this kingdom from countless threats and dangers of the most twisted magic and had come out victorious time and again. He would not let this hollowed husk defeat him after all he had accomplished.

Staring at the mesh of wolf and darkness, he couldn't help but see him as small. Such a small and pitiful creature against his own magic. His courage and strength rose as his eyes turned into something that Arthur had much difficulty believing was coming from his kind and jovial friend as his vision began to get greyer around the edges. His stare was one that could render the toughest warrior cowering where they stood. Arthur curiously twisted his head to see how the others were doing and his heart sped up even faster seeing his two knights losing consciousness or worst. However, Merlin's friends still remained conscious, trying desperately to get loose._  
_

"I have improved in more ways than you think." Merlin's voice was low and calm, far too calm for the situation that they were facing, but Arthur had started to think that he was missing parts of the conversation between the two. He also saw Merlin's eyes directed at the other two and for some reason they both stilled their efforts of getting free. Only a second passed before Merlin returned his gaze to the beast, but not before giving Arthur a questioning look. It was getting harder and harder to breath as the tendrils squeezed tighter, breaking some of his ribs in the process, but even that wasn't enough to get him to sweet oblivion. Not before he saw what happened next.

Merlin kept his gaze on the beast, the other still smiling as he sent another bout of his magic to further the dark curse within Merlin. But his smile soon fell as he noticed it had no effect on the young prince. Merlin, never raising a hand nor uttering a word, felt his eyes glow as he let his magic loose. Immediately, powerful gusts of wind created a vortex around him, sending the rubble and fallen tree trunks to the side, essentially clearing the surrounding land. The beast saw that the wind began to get stronger and stronger with every passing second, so it immediately attacked, sending some of its tendrils to pierce Merlin's body. But it was not to be. As soon as they came in contact with it, the wind sliced through them as easily as butter. Howling in pain as Merlin send the wind towards the beast, it felt as each gust sliced through the tentacles that were holding the others.

Having already been warned by their prince of what was about to happen, Anthea and Eldwin landed on their feet as the wind blew harmlessly by them. With something akin to awe at the incredible display of power, they noticed that the wind caught the others as they fell to the ground. The beast's howls resonated around the forest, and the wind came to rest at Merlin's feet, spinning around him in a protective arch.

"_What **is** this?" _He heard the beast exclaim from its corner as he got to its feet once more, but Merlin completely ignored it as he turned his attention towards his knights.

"Anthea, I need you to cast a grounding net around the beast. Eldwin, take the others for cover..." Taking this as permission to ignore his original order of not using magic, they quickly began to obey. Anthea reeled in her chain and began twirling it, but unlike the times before, this time she allowed her magic to flow. A few quick words and her eyes glowed in the moonlight as her magic began to work. Her chain glowed gently as a small portal appeared on the ground in front of her. Throwing the end of her chain onto the portal, her gaze shifted to the beast as hundreds of portals appeared all around him. The blade at the end of the chain appeared from each portal hurling at an incredible speed and striking the ground surrounding the beast. The beast tried to stop the chains from forming but the damaged from the previous attack was far too much, no matter fast its body could regenerate. Eventually, the chains created a net that encompassed the beast in its entirety, rendering it immobile.

As this was going on, Eldwin took the knights one by one and placed them behind his prince, knowing that would be the safest place right now. Being mindful of their injuries, he placed Kay and Leon gently on the grass and Arthur propped up on a tree. Eventually, as Anthea grounded her spell, the beast rose to its feet, pushing against the defensive layer of magic that kept it in place.

"_Do you really expect a spell this **weak** to stop me for long?" _Merlin heard the beast sneer, but he wasn't intimidated as he began to gather his magic for what was needed next. _  
_

"No…" He said in a deadpan voice as he stepped a few paces forwards before stopping. "Just long enough…" Merlin raised his hand towards what was the hollow husk of his uncle and began the enchantment.

"_Yr wyf yn bwrw allan eich enaid gwael, yn diflannu ar ôl i mi ryddhau i chi!_" The glow in his eyes increased as the spell required. Merlin had remembered the spell that the dragon gave him to defeat Sigan all those months ago, and even so he had changed it a bit to serve his purpose. Both beast and shell howled in pain as yellow mist began to leave them both. The husk's face, amidst its howls, turned towards the young prince, incredulous that this kid had the power to rip his soul from its host.

"**_You can't be that powerful!" _**It exclaimed, fearful as it realized what was happening. And just before the entirety of his soul split from its husk, he saw Merlin approach him, his sword at hand.

"I have you to thank for that…" They heard the young prince state bluntly as he took an offensive stance. "It's because of your actions that I've managed to reach my true potential and find my destiny." Both knights were confused at his statement but pushed it aside when they saw the last of the traitor's soul leave the husk.

As soon as this happened, Merlin raised his hand towards his sword and his eyes glowed once more, "_Symud y gwynt i streiciau fy cleddyf!_" A wave of pulsating energy could be felt around the battleground as the wind swirling around his thin frame began to collect around his sword. As soon as all the wind was gathered, the sword glowed a serene azure blue, waiting for its target. Almost sensing this, Merlin swung the sword at the glowing energy in front of him before it could escape. As soon as its yellow energy came in contact with the blade's blue, the wind encompassed the energy instantly and the yellow energy began to dissipate, soon leaving no trace of its existence.

Pulling his sword back towards him, he eyed the wolf's shadowed form. Now without its host and master it didn't have any direction or purpose. Before it could do anything else, Merlin sent it a desist order, enforced with his own magic. Bowing into submission, the beast's shadowed body began to disappear amongst the shadows all around them, leaving the group alone, now forever gone.

The battleground fell into a dead silence as the weight of what just happened finally hit them. Anthea and Eldwin were staring at their prince wide eyed; having just seen the incredible and destructive power that Merlin's magic was now capable of was awe inspiring and a little bit frightening.

Reeling back her chain, her spell no longer needed, Anthea stepped forward noticing that her young lord haven't moved since they watched the beast disappear. "Sire?" Her voice echoed eerily in the silence around them. Merlin blinked as if waking up from a trance, so she pushed further. "What **_was _**that?"

Hearing her surprise and wonder, he simply eyed her with a small but pained smile. "That's a long story."

Suddenly, realizing that the others were hurt, he immediately sheathed his sword and ran toward the others, gravitating towards Arthur more than anyone. "How are they?" He asked Eldwin, worry clear on his face as he began assessing their bodies. Every single one of them had multiple parts of their armor partly melted from the acidic venom of the beast's tendrils. Purple and yellow could be seen all over the exposed skin, and cuts bled all over them. While his knights were also hurt, he knew that their armor protected them better than the others from the acid. But judging from the way they were holding themselves, their ribs were more than likely bruised or even broken. He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Eldwin talking.

"They have multiple broken ribs and lacerations around their bodies -"

"… Magic…" All their eyes widened dramatically as their gaze shifted to the body of the blond prince. They had believed that every one of them had fallen unconscious in mid fight, but Arthur had remained lucid out of pure stubbornness. "Y-You have magic."

Seeing no other choice but tell the truth, Merlin answered him bluntly, "Yes."

Anthea noticed how Arthur's body tensed up as Merlin confirmed his thoughts. Knowing that it would be dangerous for them to remain untreated for their wounds, she interjected before her prince could say anything. "We all have magic, Your Highness," she said with a gentle and concerned look. "However, the fact remains that right now you and your men need help. Your injuries are far too extensive for us to transport you to Camelot, but we could tend to your wounds right now."

The group fell into silence as they let Arthur make a decision. Arthur turned his head to the side, and his gaze fell upon the injured forms of his knights. He knew that they would not survive the trek home, and judging by the way they were wheezing each time they drew breath, he knew that the group of magic using knights before them would most definitely use some form of magic to save them. And no matter how much he would like to distrust them, for some reason he felt himself compelled to trust them. Shifting his gaze towards the younger prince, the one who had completely lied to his face throughout the years they were together, the one who wielded power unlike anything he had ever seen before, the one who had betrayed his trust, Arthur tried to convey all his conflicting emotions, more predominantly the anger he was now feeling towards him.

"We will talk…" He ordered Merlin angrily.

The other, having seen the betrayal in his eyes, lowered his head in shame as he nodded. "Of course."

Not really caring about his answer, Arthur turned towards Anthea and gave her a brief nod of acceptance before the grey in his eyes completely engulfed him, "…Do it."

And all was black.

* * *

Arthur didn't know how much time had passed but, as he struggled to open his eyes, he felt his senses slowly starting to come back to him. He could smell the dampness of wet grass and faint copper deposits, so he assumed he was inside a cave. Ever so gently, he began to open his eyes, a little disoriented at first, but he managed to focus on the stone walls that confirmed his previous guess.

As he attempted to stand up, sharp bouts of pain shot from his midsection, and he realized that his chest was bandaged tightly. He glanced at his surroundings: a moderate sized campfire was burning not too far away from him, the ambers lighting the cave gently. Off to the side, he noticed a pile of their armor, parts of it melted beyond repair. Unable to remember how he came across this place or how he had gotten hurt, he settled down once again on the rock until he heard the scuffing of feet coming his way and an oh so familiar voice.

"Arthur?" Merlin exclaimed hopefully as he saw the blonde's head shift in his direction. Running towards him, he quickly got to his side, Anthea following behind him. "Oh, thank the gods! I was starting to worry."

Arthur kept staring at the smile on his manservant's face, about to reply with a smart quip when suddenly the events of the last few days hit him. The white knights of Oridian's court arriving in Camelot. The discovery of Merlin's secret lineage and the threat they were facing. The horrible beast, with its shadows and poison, not to mention the discovery that Oridian's traitorous king was still alive inside of it. How he watched as Merlin fell to the ground in mute agony, and how they all were completely overpowered by its darkness. And how Merlin saved them all by displaying a power that could shake the very earth he stood upon.

"You…" He said quietly as the betrayal and anger returned in full force. "… used magic."

Hearing this, Merlin's face fell as he looked at the floor. "I was hoping you'd forget that…"

"You **_lied _**to me!" At this point, Arthur voice held enough venom that it drove a dagger through Merlin's heart.

Taking his eyes off the floor, Merlin turned towards Anthea. "Anthea, could you please join Eldwin with the others?"

Noticing the slight tinge of sadness and defeat, she knew that her prince wished to be alone for this talk. "Of course…" Bowing slightly, she turned around and gave the two royals privacy.

The two remained in unbearable silence as the minutes passed. Both men too lost in their own thoughts, Merlin trying to find a way to begin explaining the situation and Arthur trying his best to calm himself.

But before long, Merlin couldn't take the silence any longer and began speaking. "Arthur…" he said gently."I never wanted you to find out like this…"

Arthur couldn't help but rolled his eyes. "Oh, you mean you were **_actually_** going to tell me, you **_traitor_**?" Seeing Merlin visibly flinch at this didn't give him the satisfaction he hoped for, but damned if he hadn't meant it. Merlin was a traitor, in every sense of the word. He broke Camelot's highest law by performing magic within the kingdom, and Arthur didn't doubt that he had used it before, but that wasn't as important as what he had done. He had lied to him, to his face. Arthur treasured each moment he had spent with Merlin not having felt anything like the complete honesty he seemed to give him before. But if he had lied to his face all those years, who was to say that he didn't lie about anything else?

"At first, no…" He heard Merlin say gently, but at best his anger flared once more. "You were so closed off from the world around you that I knew as soon as I told you I would be sentenced to death."

Arthur grudgingly had to agree with him on that. He knew he was selfish before, but he had changed over the years. Before he could say anything in his defense, Merlin continued.

"But soon enough you grew to be someone who I thought of as a brother. Unfortunately, I knew that if I told you then, you would have to decide between me and your father, and I couldn't do that to you." He began explaining. "The fact that you have constantly shot me down and how you've reminded me and every one of your knights the evils of magic tore at me each and every day." Merlin tried his best to convey his emotions through his eyes. He had wanted to share this part of him with Arthur for so long, but the more time that passed, the more he knew that Arthur would never forgive him. And he was right.

"Then why learn magic?" Arthur sneered with venom clear on his voice. "Magic was the very **_thing_** that split your family and your kingdom **_apart_**! You saw firsthand how magic **_corrupts_**!" He couldn't understand why he would learn such an evil thing. He was cursed for gods' sakes! It was a prime example on how evil magic could be. But when he expected Merlin to plead with him his case he didn't expected to see him sigh, almost as if he were resigned to his fate.

"I didn't learn magic, Arthur…" Arthur was about to scream at him for lying to him again, but the look Merlin gave him stopped him in his tracks. His eyes held unbelievable pain and sorrow, but so much wisdom that he could feel himself getting lost in them. "I was **_born _**with it. My magic is ingrained in every fiber of my being, and it was as much my decision to have as it was yours or mine to be born of royalty."

"That's not possible. I've never heard of **_anyone _**born with magic…" said Arthur as his gaze lowered to the floor. No, it was impossible. Those who used magic chose to learn its evil ways. Didn't they? He broke away from his thoughts as he heard Merlin speak.

"Well, apparently it's all part of our destiny…"

Arthur couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in disbelief. "Our **_destiny_**?"

Hearing the shock and clear disbelief in his voice, Merlin raised his head and gave him a brief smile. "You are the Once and Future king. Destined to unite all ofAlbioninto a new time of peace and bring magic back to the land."

Not seeing the shining protectiveness and trust Merlin felt as he said this, Arthur stared at him as if he had grown a second head. "Why would I do **_that_**?" He exclaimed loudly, Merlin's head snapping up towards him with something akin to sorrow in his eyes. "Ever since I was a child, my father made sure to show me the evils of magic. Why would I turn my back on everything I've believed my entire life?"

Hearing the clear resolve in his voice drove another stab to Merlin's heart. He had begun to see the great kingdom Arthur would create, but now that it seemed that he had failed in his destiny. No. He would not give up. His eyes steeling slightly, he stared at Arthur head on. "Because you **_know _**better than that." Arthur's eyes widened exponentially as he saw the desperation and quiet resolve in Merlin's eyes.

"Magic is like a sword. In the wrong hands, magic can be used as a force for destruction and chaos, such as those who seek revenge against Camelot for their fallen. But in the right hands," Saying this, Merlin turned towards the campfire and let his magic flow towards one of the cinders. He felt Arthur tense up as he willed the ashes and cinders to create the emblem of Camelot. Not turning away, Merlin continued.

"Magic can be used as a force of good and justice. If you allow those who are of pure intentions to aid those in need, you will see that they are no different than your most loyal knights, willing to use their swords in the aid of the kingdom."

Arthur couldn't tear himself away from the display before him. Even though he knew that it was magic, for some reason he wasn't feeling the usual anger and tension that accompanied the displays of dark magic he had seen before. Now, however, he remembered a blue orb when he was on his quest for the mortious flower to save Merlin and the feeling of fierce protectiveness that accompanied it. Was Merlin the one who conjured it? But he had been near death at that point. Could he be that powerful?

Now that he thought about it, there were a lot of unexplained things that happened in Camelot. How magical creatures were slain out of nowhere, and evil sorcerers where dealt with. Branches and arrows falling and shooting in the mist of battle and striking those bandits and enemies that he hadn't been able to see in time. It all made sense. Merlin must've done all of that, all in the service of Camelot. But why would he help a kingdom that had killed thousands of his kind, it didn't make sense. Unless…

"If my _'destiny'_is to do all that, then what is yours?" Arthur guessed that if he actually had one, and Merlin knew of it, then he must play a part in all of this nonsense. And judging the look of apprehension on Merlin's face, he knew he was right.

"When I still lived in Oridian, I believed my destiny was to grow up and rule my people. Protect them from harm and allow it to thrive," Merlin stated simply as his eyes turned slightly pained. "But when my uncle took over and I had to abandoned everything I stand for, my heart almost broke with grief.

"Four years I spent stumbling from place to place with mother until we settled in Ealdor. But for some reason, my magic was growing at a pace that neither I nor she had ever seen before. It came to the point where she had to send me to Gaius, hoping that he would help me control it." Arthur's eyes softened slightly at the fact that Gaius knew of his magic. He trusted Gaius exclusively and without question, and the fact that he trusted Merlin within Camelot meant that Merlin was telling the truth about his use of magic, but it still didn't help the fact that he betrayed his trust. As Merlin continued, he turned his attention to him, not wanting to miss anything, and he was surprised that the pain in his eyes morphed to that of pure happiness.

"But when I arrived in Camelot, I felt a wave of energy envelope me, and for the first time in years, I was calm," he said with the usual carefree smile that he always wore. "Soon enough, I met you and discovered the great dragon beneath the castle."

"There's a **_dragon _**beneath the castle?" Arthur couldn't help but splutter at this fact.

Merlin simply blinked for a few seconds before realizing his mistake. "Oh, I forgot you didn't know about him…" Arthur eyed him in disbelieve before simply shaking his head and gesturing him to continue. He was beginning to realize that there was a lot they needed to discuss. Taking his cue, Merlin continued.

"As I was saying, the great dragon called out to me, and he told me of our destiny. For the first time, I finally had a purpose again." As Merlin said this, his eyes showed the deep loyalty and dedication he felt for Arthur's kingdom. He would forever be grateful for regaining a purpose after all those years, not to mention how humbled he was to be a part of the great destiny Arthur had yet to fulfill. Surprising Arthur even further, Merlin bowed before him, wanting to show that his true loyalty lay with him. "I am to protect you from any and all magical threats so that you can live to fulfill the prophesy. I will guide you through your most difficult times if you wish it so, and I will remain by your side. Always."

With this, the two fell silent, only the crackling of the wood on fire to keep them company. Arthur began thinking of what Merlin said magic was about, how it was like a sword and depending who used it gave it its purpose. He could begin to see the truth about that statement, and the fact that his father killed anyone with magic regardless of what they did with it gave any magic user no reason to actually use it for good in their presence. Perhaps there was something to what Merlin said about his destiny, and he himself had helped the young druid boy escape his execution so he could definitely understand that there are those who use magic who don't deserve to die. Raising his head to stare at Merlin, he noticed that he was anxious to hear what he had decided. The two stared into each other's eyes, Merlin trying to gauge his emotions and Arthur finally able to see the goodness behind the golden memory of his eyes.

"Alright…" Merlin's eyes widened at this, not wanting to get his hopes up if it turned out to be false. Eyeing him once more, Arthur nodded briefly before continuing. "I believe you. And I won't tell my father of you and your knights. Let's be honest, you are as evil as a duck!"

Merlin's heart soared when Arthur said this. He insulted him almost in the same manner as before. Thanking all the gods in the sky, he began to thank Arthur as well. "Arthur, tha- -"

But before he could finish, Arthur's eyed hardened and stopped him in his tracks. "But." He interrupted bluntly, the smile on Merlin's face falling as he noticed the anger behind his blue eyes intensify. "I don't trust you."

Merlin's smile fell completely and was replaced by sorrow and regret. He didn't blame Arthur for his decision, having known that this was the most likely outcome once his secret got out. But nothing could've prepared him for the deep pain he felt in his soul over losing the trust of his greatest and most treasured friend.

"You **_lied_** to me. Lied to my face, and yes, you said that you did that so that I wouldn't be forced to choose between you and my father…" At this, Arthur leaned forward, ignoring any bout of pain as he stared down at the man he once thought of as a brother. After what he had discovered, it would take time for him to feel like that again. "But it was **_my_** choice to make, **_not _**yours."

As he lay back down on the bundle of leaves that was serving as a cover over the rocks, the two found themselves lost in their own thoughts. Merlin kept his head down, his posture the very embodiment of misery as the knowledge that he lost Arthur's trust in him pervaded his thoughts. Arthur continued to analyze the many instances that Merlin must've used his magic.

Minutes passed before the silence became unbearable; the tension between the two could very well be cut with a sword. It came to a point that Arthur couldn't take it anymore. "So, did it work?"

Merlin's head snapped forward as he heard Arthur's voice echo in the cave. "Did what work?"

Arthur's eyes widened slightly at the absentmindedness of the young prince. "You **_can't_** be serious? The whole reason we're in the middle of the forest was to get that bloody **_curse _**off of you!"

When he realized what he was asking him, Merlin couldn't believe that he hadn't actually checked his scar. But not wanting to let Arthur have the last word, he quickly defended himself, "In my defense I was a little busy keeping you all **_alive_**!"

"Oh for the love of- lean **_down_**!" Arthur reached towards one of Merlin's shoulders and dragged him down to his level.

"**_Ow_**! What are you-" Merlin gave out a yelp of pain as Arthur managed to get his hands behind his neck, but he quieted down when Arthur began untied his neckerchief.

"There…" He heard him say as he felt the rough fabric being lifted from his neck.

Merlin couldn't contain himself anymore, and since Arthur hadn't said anything about it he asked anxiously. "**_Well_**?"

He saw him eyeing his neck with a blank expression, which did do anything to alleviate his worry. If this didn't work, he didn't know what he would do. "…You still have a scar."

Scar. He still had it. He wasn't going to see his father again, or any of his people. He wouldn't be able to walk along the stone path surrounding the forest or be able to play alongside the children of the many families he had loved. His heart sank with the realization that he would never see the face of his father or embrace him.

Arthur realized what was happening, he could see the beginning of tears forming along Merlin's eyes, thinking that it failed. "It's not black! It's just like a regular scar."

Merlin's eyes snapped open and stared at the smiling face of the elder prince. It's not black? That must mean that it was gone, right? Even if he still remained with a scar it was worth it as long as he could return home. However quickly he felt elation and happiness fill his heart, anger filled its place. Did Arthur keep that from him just to see him squirm? Did he really hate him that much that he would use something that had such a devastating effect in his life? Merlin felt himself clenching his hand and punched Arthur in his shoulder throwing him backwards.

"**_Owww_**! What was **_that _**about?" Arthur shouted in disbelief, but he froze as he realized what he had done. He could see a lone tear falling from Merlin's right eye as his whole body shook with anger.

"That **_wasn't _**funny!"

Arthur's eyes softened and he felt terrible that he didn't think through his words. That scar had taken so much away from Merlin that Arthur understood his anger towards him. Closing his eyes in shame, Arthur tried to say something to him. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Merlin simply stood up and walked towards the fire before sitting down and began to stir it. Just like that, the two of them fell into silence again. After a few more minutes, they could hear that someone was approaching.

"We're back!" they heard Eldwin exclaim cheerfully. "I managed to catch some hares around the area, so at least we'll be able to eat tonight!" He showed them a string that had five hares tied together, proud of his catch. However, his smile fell slightly as he sensed the incredible tension between both of the royals. He watched as Merlin stood up and began walking towards the exit while keeping his head down.

"…We leave first thing in the morning." he heard him utter solemnly as he walked past him and Anthea.

"Did I say something wrong?" He asked his innocently, hoping that she could tell him what had happened, but she merely shook his head and patted his hand gently.

"Just start with dinner. I'll go check on the others."

The two remained mute throughout the entirety of the night. As the morning came, Kay and Leon woke up and in a stable enough condition to begin their trek back to Camelot. As the battered group of knights entered the castle walls hobbling, word was sent immediately to the king. The group arrived at Gaius's quarters, and the elderly physician immediately went to work.

The king arrived and was quickly briefed on the events of last few nights, Arthur omitting the use of magic and Merlin showing him the newly healed scar, now lacking any of the dark poison. Once Arthur and his knights were helped back to their quarters, Merlin announced to the king that he and his knights would be leaving to Oridian the next day, if possible. When Uther asked why he wouldn't wait until they were all healed, Merlin just smiled and said that his kingdom was calling out for him. Understanding the need to see his kingdom as soon as possible, Uther simply wished them a safe trip and announced that they were free to take any kind of supplies they would need for their journey.

When morning came, Arthur watched from his room as the five knights of Oridian began the trip back to their home. But this time, Prince Merlin was accompanying them, heading the pack of horses galloping away from Camelot. Sighing gently, he wished them a safe trip home as he walked back to his bed, unaware that at the same time, the raven-haired prince was eyeing the castle windows with a sense of sorrow filling his heart.

* * *

_Me: I re-wrote the spells Merlin used taking out Sigan, and the one he used to defeat the Gryphon._

_** I cast out your wretched soul, to disappear after I liberate you…_

_** Move the wind to the strikes of my sword._

_*grins* Almost there you guys! Only one more chapter!_


	10. Author's Note

_**My Fellow Knights and residents of my virtual kingdom, I am afraid I have terrible news.**_

_**My kingdom (laptop) has been ransacked by a terrible curse (virus) and I am afraid that the continuation of the story will come at a much later time. But do not despair, *mutters* Or throw anything sharp at my person…**_

_***coughs***_

_**As Queen, I have decided to venture out into the normal realm and search for the healers of the kingdom of BestBurion (Best Buy Geek squad) so that if my kingdom is unable to recover then perhaps a means of transferring everyone safely onto another nearby kingdom.**_

_**You have my word that I will not rest until my kingdom is once again safe from evil. And while I'm away, I shall see to it that my knights calm the population.**_

_**But in all fairness, you are all benefiting from this atrocity… It's been a week and climbing since my kingdom became damaged and for some reason my mind has begun to expand exponentially! Seriously! The amount of stories I've have piled up in my notes is getting out of hands! And it's spreading to other fandoms as well!**_

_***cries* TToTT**_

_**As of now I have 9 fics for 'Merlin' alone! And they are all pretty much multi-chaptered! But I've been getting such great ideas for an angsty/BAMF Merlin that they have my inner fan girl squealing in delight and my inner writer whimpering in sorrow for not being able of writing it!**_

_**Warning of one of them… You have your basic ration of angst, hurt/comfort, and humor that you all enjoy but you also get a BAMF!Merlin, Evil sisters, Jealous Arthur, Grieving Merlin, Reveal of magic, Lost love, almost the complete obliteration of ones best friend and a drunken Merlin too boot! 8D**_

_**Anyways… Hope you don't kill your grieving queen for her laptop frying… *blinks***_

_**Oh who am I kidding? *runs***_


	11. Chapter 10

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing but my knights..._**

_Me: …_

_Arthur&Merlin: *share a worried look and turned to the mob*_

_Merlin: *smiling hesitantly* Please heed no mind at her behavior. She is just mad that the healers told here that her kingdom could be save completely when in reality the curse ran to deep._

_Arthur: Only the entertainers (music files) and town's people (pictures) were able to survive the healing process while her entire castle (word files) collapsed in itself._

_Arthur: Myself and Merlin mourn right along side your queen and hopefully we can lift her spirits to continue writing once more._

_Merlin: In the meantime, please enjoy this final chapter. She had to re-write it all from scratch so we all hope you end up enjoying it anyways._

* * *

The morning sun was covered with a layer of heavy clouds which spoke of delicate snow that was soon to fall. The air was slightly frigid due to their proximity to the mountains, but Merlin was quick to adjust, having lived in these conditions throughout his childhood.

Merlin was inside the comfort of his own tent, although the others had already started to collect their camp. Last night, Merlin determined that they were only a few hours away from the still familiar white walls of his kingdom, but Anthea reminded him that traveling so late at night would only be asking for trouble. So it was with a heavy sigh that Merlin listened to his second in command and set up for the night, dreaming of white towers and banners of royal gold, blue and red.

A sigh could be heard inside the tent as Merlin sat down on the ground, contemplating their long travel and what lay ahead. Since his knights weren't following the same hazardous trail of the shadow beast as it roamed through the many kingdoms tracking Merlin, their group managed to cut their travel time to two and a half weeks, for which he was thankful. During that time, the others gladly filled him on every detail he had missed during his time in exile. Those first two weeks he managed to find out how his three newest knights came to be accepted within their ranks (apparently the trio had been traveling from town to town trying to stop his uncle's men from ravaging the villages, which hadn't gone unnoticed by his father), how Eldwin manage to get that scar along his chin (having been captured and tortured for information for three days, but in return giving his captors as good as he could give), how he and Anthea had finally gotten engaged and married (apparently Anthea had grown tired of waiting for him to as her so she asked him instead. In front of their entire battalion he might add, a fact that Merlin didn't think he would ever let him live down), and how his father had faired during the years we were apart.

His eyes fell down and landed upon the silver arm brace which was clasped comfortably upon his wrist. Even after all these years, he still was in awe of its design, the intricate pattern woven around the edges as it broke apart to grasp the gem held at the center. The silver branches were placed in such a way that they almost seemed to caress the precious cerulean gem that his father always told him was the same shade as his mother's eyes. With a gentle smile, Merlin stroked the arm brace in a subconscious manner, remembering how before they set out to Oridian he had taken the item from the chest where his armor once rested. As soon as his gaze fell upon it, he instantly felt enveloped by a sense of comfort and love, but before he could truly revel in the sensation, the flap of his tent opened to reveal Anthea's gaze, apologetic for disturbing her young lord while so deeply in thought.

"My Lord…" she said gently, "We are ready to depart."

Shaking his head slightly, Merlin rose from his spot and gave her an annoyed- yet kind- look at her use of his title. "Of course. Please tell everyone that I will join them in a minute."

Giving him a small nod in acknowledgment, she turned around and left him to his thoughts once more. Dusting himself off, he smiled fondly as he looked at what he was wearing. It was the one of the many outfits that Gwen and Morgana had insisted in him taking with him, travel clothes of a higher quality that he was used to but he couldn't say no to them. He wondered what they were doing right now. Gaius was no doubt already awake and starting his usual rounds. Morgana and Gwen were probably taking a stroll around the marketplace, and Arthur was no doubt training his knight into the ground. He couldn't help but miss them all, but right now he needed to get his head on the task ahead. After he came out and took down his tent, the group finally began their final trek to Oridian.

To home…

* * *

Back in Oridian, as the council elders stepped outside the throne room, Hunith took the opportunity to step inside. As her gaze fell upon that of her king, she noticed the nervous bounce of his leg and his oblivious look towards his surroundings. It was all she could do to stop herself from laughing at the similarities he and his son shared. It had been almost a month since she had arrived back to Oridian in the company of one of the white knights, and the news of her and Merlin's whereabouts seemed to return to the monarch the years he lost while fighting against his brother. But now that so much time has passed without a word from the other, her king had increasingly become more fidgety and distracted from his duties, his mind clearly on the wellbeing of his son.

Approaching his prone form, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulders, pulling him away from his thoughts. "My Lord, you really should stop worrying so much."

Dark brown eyes met her soft brown ones as he finally seemed to notice who it was before him. Shaking his head slightly, he turned to give her his full attention, "I'm sorry Hunith, did you say something?"

"Sire, Anthea and Eldwin will take good care of your son, and Merlin has grown into a very resourceful man over the years; you need not worry about him so much." But knowing her king would no doubt ignore her words she tried to compromise with him. "Or if you are unwilling to be calm then perhaps you should suspend the council meetings until your worry is satisfied?"

She raised an eyebrow almost in the same manner as her brother, and the king knew there was little he could do to refuse her. Patting her hand that was on his shoulder, he stood from his throne, his whole body seeming to creek in protest. The king hated how the years of war had treated his body, but he would gladly do so again in the service of his people. His outfit was composed of a simple blue tunic and a tan vest with golden buttons and embroidery accents that gave him a look of royalty, but not so overtly that a peasant couldn't feel like he could approach him.

"I'm sorry my dear, you are quite correct. I am in no state of mind to be of any use anyway." As he said this, the king gave her a playful glare. "And what have I told you about titles? You are more to this family than just a nurse maid." And he truly meant it. Knowing that she was taking care of his son all those years gave him a sense of peace, fully aware that the lady before him would sooner die than let any harm come to his son.

Hearing his quip, Hunith couldn't help the obvious blush that covered her face, so she lowered her head, hoping to hide it. "Thank you, Si-" Catching herself before she finished that sentence, she raised her head once more towards her king. "I mean, Balinor..."

The falling of his name from her mouth, however hesitantly, made him break into a victorious grin. "**_There_**, now was **_that_** so hard?"

Hunith merely rolled her eyes as she gave her king an exasperated but cheerful grin in return.

At this, Balinor quickly took her opening and stepped right beside her, offering his hand. "Now, would you do me the honor of accompanying me on a stroll around the town?"

Shaking her head slightly at his antics, she simply gave him a brief bow and took his hand, albeit hesitantly.

As the two made their way into town, Balinor made sure to check with the townspeople every so often. Repairs were well on their way, and the kingdom had finally returned to its former splendor. Citizens finally began to repopulate their former homes, and children could once more be seen running along the stone paths of the courtyard. The king's heart seemed to swell with love at the sight of his people finally content once more, but it was all bittersweet, for he still didn't have his son by his side.

He was snapped from his musing when he and Hunith noticed a crowd beginning to form by the town square. "I wonder what's going on over there." Hunith mused out loud, imagining that it was probably one of the many street performances she secretly enjoyed.

Hearing the clear curiosity on her voice, Balinor took her hand and began to pull her forwards with him, "Well, we are not going to figure it out by standing here, now are we?"

* * *

As the group of knights arrived at the front gates, the guards appointed at the time immediately halted them to verify their persons. Soon, the guards' eyes fell upon the smiling countencance of a young man with raven hair whose his eyes seemed to be soaking in the sight of the lower town. However, when the boys all too familiar eyes shifted to them, they instantly seemed to come to the same conclusion. Realizing that the extra person amongst them must be their lost prince, their eyes widened almost comically, and they immediately bowed before their young lord. The knights were trying not to laugh, but watching their prince blush at the recognition and use of his title, they lost it.

And as such, the group began to make their way towards the castle. Ever so slowly, those townsfolk who remembered their prince's appearance began to realize who the young man amongst the group of knights was and immediately began to spread the word. Soon, almost every villager was trying to see their lost prince.

Oh, but Merlin enjoyed every minute of it. He had missed his people terribly over the years, and seeing them now, happy and well, was more than he could ever ask for. Some of the kids he used to play with when he was a child had already grown up and married, some even having children of their own.

Merlin of course presented himself to all of his people, old and new, and immediately asked for names, birthdates and anything else he could think of. His heart wept from joy at the fact that he was actually talking to his people once more. And to think, he had actually given up hope of ever coming back. Sure, he knew that his father would one day take back his kingdom, but with his and Arthur's destiny, not to mention the fact that he almost gets killed every time he saved the prat's life, he thought he would be killed before that day happened. But he thanked the Gods he was able to be here today.

As of that moment, his group seemed to have completely stopped in the middle of the square. However, there came a moment where the people around them quieted and made way for someone. Soon, a familiar man and woman appeared in front of the group. Everyone fell silent as they watched the reunion. The knights simply bowed briefly before stepping aside, wanting to give the two royals their space.

But Merlin wasn't paying attention to them any longer, his full attention on the older man before him. The years had not been kind to his father, as Merlin could see his slight hunched pose and how he favored his right leg, but he was pleased to see that the youthful yet wise aura in his eyes remained as bright as ever.

His father was slowly approaching him, almost as if he was afraid that Merlin would vanish if he hurried, but instead he began to match his steps until the two where only a few inches apart.

"Merlin…" Balinor managed to utter in disbelief as he stared at the boy before him. Ever so slowly, he raised a hand towards the boys shoulder. No, not a boy. Man. Even with what Hunith had told him about his son and how much he had grown, he could never piece together the image she was speaking of. But now, here he stood. His own flesh and blood. Standing tall and proud, his eyes shining with unwavering love and, to his sorrow, a wisdom one could only gain by facing the hardships of evil in this world. As Balinor stared as his son, Merlin's face broke into a smile, his eyes beginning to tear up at the sight of him.

"Hello, Father…"

"It's really you!" Balinor wasted no more time as he quickly swept his boy into his arms, hoping to convey all he was feeling at that moment. Aged hands took hold of Merlin's cheeks as pale blue eyes met with the deep brown of his father. "You're finally home… my son…"

Grasping his hand into his, Merlin tried to appear strong in front of his father, but the tears trickling down his cheeks seemed adamant to prove him wrong. "I've missed you…" Merlin managed to say as he choked back a sob.

His father merely pulled him back into his embrace as the two enjoyed the comfort of the other. "So have I…"

A few minutes passed in silence as the crown stood witness to the happy reunion. Some had tears in their eyes as well. Suddenly, realizing their silent crowd, the king turned to address them, his hand never leaving his son's shoulder, "My son has returned!"

At this announcement, the crowd roared in happiness, too engrossed in their celebration to notice at first that their lord was trying to speak once more. "Tonight, we shall celebrate his return inside the palace! Everyone is welcome!"

With this, the monarch turned to look at his white knights and gave them a bow to let them know how grateful he was. "And of course," he gestured to the knights, "we shall also honor the white knights for their aid in tracking and destroying that wretched beast!" More cheers could be heard as the people rejoiced while the two monarchs approached the group of knights.

"Come! You must all be tired from your long journey; let's continue this inside the castle." Bowing slightly, the group followed happily after the two royals through the castle walls.

As the group arrived in the throne room, Anthea and Eldwin quickly began to report their travels and the success of their mission. They both make sure to make it clear to their king that if not for their young lord's actions, then the beast would no doubt had killed them all. Merlin of course blushed slightly as he tried to diffuse their praise, but they would have none of it. The king merely listened patiently as they spoke, his heart clenching at the news of his brother's soul inhabiting the beast's body, but he quickly pushed his grief aside. Once the group finally finished with their report, they disbanded and left the two royals alone for the first time in six years.

"Now, Merlin, you must tell me everything that you've done all these years!" Balinor exclaimed urgently, wanting nothing more than to know everything his son had done and felt for the years they had been apart.

"I don't even know where to start. There is so much I want to tell you," Merlin replied honestly as he took the seat along the windowsill where his father sat. If he was honest with himself, he didn't have a clue as to where to start. So much had happened to him in these past six years, his increase in power, his newfound destiny with Arthur, not to mention the knowledge that the last dragon in existence laid below Camelot's ground as his bond with the beast laid with his Dragon Lord heritage. But before a clear thought could be perceived in his mind, his eyes closed as he found the perfect way to start his tale.

Merlin opened his eyes as he faced his father with a small smile, "Father, have you ever heard of Emrys?"

As his son opened his eyes, Balinor was stunned to see such depth of wisdom concealed within his young mind, and even more stunned that the name he uttered was one that he heard often spoken with clear reverence by the council elders. Soon, he found himself being overwhelmed by all that Merlin spoke of. Of how his power began increasing the first three years of his exile. About how he came to be in Camelot and became a servant to the prince, not to mention the prophesy that tied them together. All of his adventures with the young prince called Arthur who, despite Merlin's first impressions, was a kind and loyal man willing to sacrifice himself for his people. How he had found his true love but lost her unfairly to the hands of fate. And the odd family that had been created out of his friends there and the fierce loyalty they all had towards one another. Soon, his tale came to a close as many members of the staff began to ask them both what they wished to have at the banquet, and Balinor was grateful for the distraction.

As if he could sense his father's need for time to process all the information, Merlin went to join Hunith and began helping her and the staff to prepare the castle for a celebration. Soon, the day morphed into night as the castle halls burst with life as people from ever station gathered around to celebrate the arrival of their young prince. Halfway through the night, his father managed to find him and, with a deep sigh, gave his son the fiercest hug he could muster. He had hoped that his son was still his young boy, but from what he had heard that afternoon, his son had become a wise man long before coming of age. Balinor gave his bewildered son a big grin before pushing him towards the crowds and directing him to his throne, which stood right besides the king's.

The entire kingdom seemed to fall into a constant state of celebration, and a few days after the banquet, his father announced Merlin's official coronation to become the crown prince of Oridian. The fact that in every official celebration back in Camelot a danger rose just to spite him kept Merlin on edge during the entire ceremony. He hoped that no one thought much of the fact that as soon as his father placed the crown on his head he immediately fell into a crouch and prepare himself for the worst. Nothing. Not even a single, 'I have come for my revenge' speech uttered by a crazed sorcerer could be heard inside the great halls, so all Merlin could do was curse Arthur once more as he now had proof that **_he_** was the trouble magnet and not him.

As the celebration dinner came to a close, Merlin found himself drawn to a nearby balcony, his gaze upon the hazy night sky. He wondered what the others were doing back in Camelot. Was Gaius taking care of himself? He knew from experience how the elder man could sometimes become so focused on one task that he completely forgot what the day was, or if he had eaten. He was sure that if that were the case, then Gwen would no doubt step in and help him in any way she could. Sweet Guinevere, the Once and Future Queen of Camelot. Merlin allowed himself to snicker at the title his young friend was oblivious to. With that his thoughts shifted to the beautiful Morgana. He hoped she was keeping the prat in place. He would hate to see all his work wasted. And with that, his thoughts settled on Arthur. He hoped that with time, Arthur would see the necessity of his secrecy and would grow to forgive him. Maybe he should've stayed long enough to see him recovered… Gods know how hardheaded and idiotic his friend could be when he's been too long inside the castle. The prat probably drove Gaius and Morgana mad trying to stand up and start training, but he knew Gwen would set him straight, she always could.

Suddenly, Merlin felt a presence beside him as the familiar figure of his father joined him on the balcony. Balinor merely gave him a nod as the two turned to stare out into the stars. The two had fallen into a comfortable silence when suddenly, Merlin heard his father speak, "You're going back, aren't you?"

Neither royal had lowered his gaze, the two choosing to stare out into the sky rather than seeing the hurt in the other. Balinor had already noticed the look of longing on his son's face as the weeks passed. He often spoke of his friends and the crazy antics they used to get into together with a smile, but he knew that his smile never reached his eyes. Balinor knew that the time would come, and as such he wasn't that surprised when he found his son staring out into the distance in the same direction as the kingdom of Camelot.

"Arthur still needs me. I can't simply abandon him just because I can finally set foot within our kingdom," Merlin stated calmly as he rolled his eyes with a small smirk. "Knowing the prat, I'm sure he is thinking I was just with him out of necessity rather than our friendship…" At this, Merlin finally lowered his head towards his father as the other did the same. Balinor saw the look of pure determination and wisdom in his son eyes as he continued speaking.

"Besides, he is not the only one with work ahead of him in the future. We are, after all, two side of the same coin. Of the same destiny" As Merlin closed his eyes solemnly; Balinor saw the aura of strength that encompassed his son and without hesitating, he embraced him in a hug.

"Oh my boy…" Balinor whispered as he tried to hide his sadness from his voice. "My special little boy. Although, I suppose I can't call you that anymore now can I? You have grown into a man of unshakable integrity and power as well as gained wisdom far beyond that of the years of our eldest council members."

At this, Balinor heard his son scoff in indignation. "You make me sound as if I'm **_older_** than them…" Merlin muttered without any hate as he heard his father laughing at his childish statement, the gentle rumble in his chest soothing Merlin's heart.

"Well, you have only yourself to blame for that!" He his father answered as he allowed his son to raise his head from his chest to glare at him slightly, but soon he embraced him once again. "But such a great destiny lies ahead of you and your friend. It would be selfish of me to deny the world that by trying to keep you by my side."

"It wouldn't be forever you know," Merlin muttered in his chest. "Even with my own destiny, I still have a duty to you and my people."

"Then what are you going to do?"

Balinor felt his son shrug in response. "Meh, I'm sure I'll think of something," He answered vaguely. "Either way, Gods know I'm not leaving until I smash some sense into you two."

Balinor pull them apart and gave his son a confused look. "I beg your pardon?"

"Father, I don't think that there is anyone in the kingdom who has yet to see the love you and Hunith have for each other."

Hearing his son say this, Balinor's eyes widened exponentially as he tried to fight the small blush that was rising on his face. "W-what?" he stuttered, and Merlin couldn't help but raise his eyebrow in true Gaius fashion.

"The fact is that you are both to stubborn to actually **_act_** on it."

"Now wait a second, Merlin!" Balinor exclaimed, ignoring Merlin's expectant look. "While it is true that I hold some… feelings towards Hunith, that gives you **_no_** right to act on your own accord! Beside…" At this, Merlin noted how his father's body began to sag as if grieving. Perhaps I wasn't such a good idea to bring this up. "I would never let myself betray your mother, bless her soul, by letting myself fall in love again…"

With this, the two of them fell into an uncomfortable silence, caught up in their thoughts, but Merlin was never one to be discouraged from anything. "You're wrong you know…" He was leaning against the stone railing, looking below at their kingdom, and his hand unconsciously grasped the arm brace on his right arm. "Mother wouldn't like that you keep mourning her instead of getting past her death. She wouldn't want you to close yourself off from another that can give you what she so very much yearned to do every day."

Merlin turned to look at his father not paying attention to the lone tear that was falling down his cheek. "Her love…"

"And how could you **_possibly_** know that?" If that wasn't such a tense situation, or if his father didn't have a desperate look of yearning on his face, Merlin was sure he would've laughed. His father asking him how he could know of the pain it took to get over the one they loved most when only a few weeks ago he himself told him of his Freya. But he wouldn't make this about himself; his father needed to understand what he truly meant.

"Do you remember when I was 8?"

The seemingly random question threw the monarch for a loop. Blinking slowly, he answered him as best as he could. "Of course. You kept asking me to tell you stories of your mother." A smile seemed to grace the pair as they remembered better times.

"At that time I wanted to feel the same connection the other children in the lower town had with their mother. It felt so alien to me that I often walked into the forest and tried to keep my thoughts together." Balinor was aware of his little excursions, and he was the first to admit that it made his heart weep for the things his son had to miss from a young age, but Merlin paid him no mind as he turned back to look at the forest in the distance.

"As it turns out, on one of my excursions, I found somebody leaning against a tree stump. He looked as if he had been traveling nonstop and hadn't eaten in days, so I tried to get him to come inside the city with me." As he said this, he took in the surprised look on his father's face with a small smile as he continued. "To this day, I don't know why he stopped me, but since he wasn't willing to come with me, I went into the city and brought him some of the bread and meat the kitchen had just finished making as well as some water.

"Once he had some of his strength back, he finally looked at me in the eyes he simply smiled. Before I could even ask, he handed me this."

Balinor could only stare at his son's wrist as he brought his arm brace closer to him. "I remember you started to wear that about the time that you stopped your questions." He muttered to himself, and Merlin nodded in reply. "What is it?"

Merlin brought the brace back towards him as he continued his tale. "He said that it was a relic of the Old Religion created to better communicate with the spirits that have already passed to Avalon." He saw how his father's eyes widen at that prospect and they immediately fell upon the arm brace with renewed attention. "He said that the druid elders entrusted him with the task of getting this to the one who would one day become their savior as a way to ease the heartache that no boy his age should feel." Merlin's eyes softened at the words spoken to him so long ago. Even when he didn't understand his destiny, destiny found a way to take care of its child.

"With those words, he simply clasped the bracelet on my wrist and said a spell to activate it. And since my mind was on mother at the time…"

Balinor interpreted his unspoken words and took over. "You **_spoke_** to her?" The sheer desperation and anguish in his voice almost brought Merlin to his knees, but he knew he had to remain strong.

Shaking his head slightly, he continued, "There is no such instrument or stone that can let you speak as freely and often with the dead as you like, but this allowed me to feel what she felt." While he said this, he gave his father a carefree smile as he continued. "How my heart swelled with her love for me whenever I managed to accomplish some small feat or how her complete adoration of you often made me choke with tears and happiness every time I saw you…" Merlin began to take off the arm brace and handed the artifact to his father with great care. His father, in return, handled the item as if he was caring a newborn baby, his eyes roaming its form in its entirety. A few minutes passed before his eyes turned from the precious metal to his son, to ask for an explanation.

"This alone cannot hope to make you understand, but while I was in Arthur's service, I managed to discover a spell which I think can help." The fact that his son could reunite him with his deceased wife almost made his heart stop entirely. "You would be able to see mother once again, but you would only get to see her once and only this once. The spell would also render the bracelet completely useless, so if I do this, it would be lost forever. The choice is yours to make…"

Balinor's eyes shifted between his son and the arm brace for a long time as he considered the implications of his son's statement. He could see his wife again, sure, but at the price that he would only see her this once. Would it be a blessing or a punishment? And the bracelet. Did he truly wish to destroy the only sure way to communicate with his late wife? He was sure that if he kept it with him, his heart would never open to another. Did he truly want that? After what seemed like hours though it was really a few moments, Balinor raised his head slowly towards his son's expectant but patient eyes. With a slight nod, he answered him. "Do it."

Nodding in response, Merlin took the arm brace gently and placed it back on his wrist. Soon, his other arm was raised above it as he began to recite Morgause's spell, rewording it to accommodate the situation at hand. As he finished, the gem began to glow, and a cerulean mist escaped it. The mists quickly began to morph and take the shape of a woman; her dress was a simple gown of white and gold, her raven black hair fell down to her waist in elegant curls. Merlin thought offhandedly that his father was right; her eyes were the same shade as the crystal on the arm brace. The two royals could only stare in awe at the image before them as she in returned gave them a gentle smile.

"Marliana…" Balinor whispered as he faced his late wife, not truly believing this was happening. "Is that… is that really you?"

Marliana's form floated forward slightly towards him, and she nodded in response, grasping the side of his face lovingly. "Yes, my beloved, it is I."

Merlin was surprised to find that her voice chimed like church bells. Such a lovely feeling traveled through him as he let his eyes close, delighting in his mother's voice. Once his eyes opened, he saw his mother approaching him with that permanent smile on her face. Slender hands slowly grasped his frame as his mother gave him a tender hug. At first, Merlin was frozen, his hands at his side, not knowing what he was supposed to do. But thankfully, he broke away from his stunned state and returned the embrace. Sooner than he would've liked, his mother moved part away from him until they were both facing each other, her hands grasping his shoulders tenderly. "My son, I can't believe how strong you've become. Remember that all my life and as I exist in Avalon, every day that passes I couldn't be any more proud or love you as much as I do now and forever…"

"Mother…" Merlin heard himself speak rather shakily as his mother raised a hand to his cheek, stroking the tears that had begun flowing since he first saw her. "You have many challenges ahead of you my son, but you must never lose faith in those you trust, nor in yourself. You will help bring this world into a better time, and I am happy to have played as small a part as I did in carrying you within my belly all those months…"

A heart wrenching sob escaped him as his spirit seemed to sigh in relief at her words. Gathering his composure together, he stared at his mother with a new found determination in his eyes. Nodding once, he began to talk. "I will not let you down, Mother."

Hearing this, her smile seemed to grow bigger, and she let him go. Soon, her frame turned to face his father, looking confused. "Balinor, why do you still weep for me, my love?" She asked gently as she grasped the side of his face, which was looking slightly enraged and confused at the same time.

"How could I not? You are my wife ,and the fates decided to rip you away from me before we could even begin to be a true family…"

"I am dead." To hear her state this fact so bluntly brought Balinor to his knees, not wanting to believe that she would not stay with him forever. Merlin wished to stop his father from falling, but his mother shook her head slightly as a request for him not to interfere. Her face never left that of the king's before her as she knelt down beside him, linking his hand with hers. "You must face the fact that I am no longer amongst the living, my love. But because of that fact, you mustn't let your heart suffer just for my sake."

If it was possible, Balinor's eyes seemed to widen even more at her statement. He felt her hand reach up to caress his cheek in a tender gesture. "I have seen how your relationship with Hunith began to change as you both took care of and raised our son together." Seeing his posture stiffen and his body language preparing to refute her statement, she held a finger up to his lips to silence him. "Balinor, there is no shame when your heart begins to beat once more after the death of one so dear. Your heart has been trying to tell you all these years that is was okay to move on, but you still refuse to do so. Why is that?"

At this, a painful sob escaped from his father as he lowered his head to her lap. He couldn't lie to her; he had known that what he was feeling for Hunith was love for a long time, but there was always one thing that stopped him. One thing that he fear in the very core of his soul.

"I don't want to forget you…"

"And why pray tell would you forget me?" At her question, Balinor slowly raised his head to gaze at her, and she smiled encouraging back. "All I ask is that you allow yourself the chance to be happy again, my love. Hunith is and always will be my best friend; I would entrust you to no one other than her, and you both can look back and think of me fondly, knowing that I am happy for you."

A few seconds passed before he could truly understand her words. Immediately and without a care, he embraced his late wife in his arms, wanting to express his affection and love for her. She merely smiled as she held his frame, knowing that now he would be able to get passed his grief and begin to truly live again. A few minutes passed before Merlin saw his parents break away from their embrace. Marliana took a few steps back so that she might gaze upon her two boys, thankful to have this opportunity to talk to them one last time. Soon, she began to feel herself fading, but not before she heard Balinor speak.

"Thank you…" She merely shook her head in disbelieve. As if he had anything to thank her for.

Before she completely faded out, she approached him one last time, taking hold of one of his hands, "Oh, my beautiful idiot…" she said fondly as her frame began to glow ever brighter. "I am just happy that as long as you live you will have someone to keep you from trouble!"

Both royals noticed her began to dissipate into the air, and Merlin tried his best to keep her with them for as long as his magic could hold her. Sensing his efforts, she simply shook her head as she grasped his hand. "I have to go… but remember what I said, both of you!" she chided playfully as her form became more and more faint.

"We will!" Merlin shouted after her quickly fading form. Soon there came the moment where they couldn't see her anymore, but before they could break the silence, they both heard a whisper in the cold wind. _"I love you both…" _

With those final words, the two royals said their final goodbyes. Merlin couldn't help but feel bittersweet about what happened, but he knew his mother was glad to have had the opportunity to talk with them, even if it was for one brief time. The two simply stood on the balcony as they gathered their thoughts. It could've been minutes or it could've been hours, but the two remained in content silence, both finally feeling the peace of mind for which they had been yearning all this time.

After a time, Merlin heard his father break the silence as he turned towards him, "Thank you for this, son. You have no idea what you've given this old soul."

A smile graced Merlin's face as his father's eyes began to come alive once more. "Believe me, Father, when I say I do."

"Let's go inside, Hunith is no doubt hunting for us both to get us in our chambers." Shaking his head slightly, Balinor took his son's shoulder, and they walked inside the castle side by side.

Merlin couldn't help but throw his father a smart retort. "Then you finally came to your sense concerning her?"

Before Balinor could even come up with something to say, both men heard the familiar sound of Hunith's voice shouting from across the corridor. "There you both are! Do you know what time it is?"

As Merlin tried his best to stop himself from laughing at his second mother's concern and obvious scolding manor, he almost missed the way his father's eyes seemed to shine as his gaze fell on her frame. "We'll see…"

* * *

Back in Camelot, the day was slightly humid and cloudy in the afternoon, the townspeople went about their usual routine as their king worked diligently in the meeting hall. Paper upon paper was examined and evaluated as the monarch made the proper corrections. Gesturing for his servant to step forward, he handed him the finished pile, "Make sure the council knows of these changes right away." He ordered offhandedly as his servant bowed briefly in reply and took the parchments from the king.

"Yes, My lord." With that, the servant began stepping out of the room, only to almost collide with a grinning and out of breath Sir Leon.

When the knight entered the room, Uther immediately gave him his full attention. "Sire," Leon acknowledged his king before the other gestured for him to continue. "Yes Sir Leon, what is it?"

"Sire, Prince Merlin has just recently arrived with his escorts." At this, Uther immediately rose to his feet. "He was hoping that you wouldn't be too busy as to meet with him today?"

"Of course not!" Uther bellowed good naturedly as a small smile made itself know across his face. "Send him in! I was hoping to speak to him soon."

At this, the knight gave the king a slight bow before he went to gather the younger prince. It took only a few minutes for Leon to find and bring the young prince with him to the meeting hall. As soon as they arrived, Uther immediately put on his best smile and addressed the prince with much joviality. The young boy had on an outfit similar to what he wore at the celebratory banquet before they went out to hunt. His tunic was a deep shade of red embroidered with strands of gold and white, and his slacks were a deep shade of chestnut brown. His ever-present neckerchief was a rich shade of blue upon his neck with the emblem of Oridian clearly embroidered across it. But what truly was new was the crown upon his head, no doubt made of the same material as the rare metal upon their knight's armor. His blade hung from a secondary belt on his hips as his right hand grasped the helm gently, revealing an exquisite arm brace.

"Prince Merlin! Welcome back to Camelot!" He exclaimed as he shook Merlin's hand and directed him towards the table. "I have to say, I did not expect to hear from you so soon. I hope your father is well?"

Merlin could see behind his cheerful and polite façade, but he knew it to be wise to ignore it for now. He, after all, had a job to do. "He is fine your majesty, thank you for your concern," Merlin answered politely. "But I was the one to insist that I come back as soon as was possible to begin our talk of an alliance. I hope you don't mind my eagerness." Back in Oridian, only a few days more had passed before Merlin felt himself capable of leaving his home to travel back to Camelot. He and his father had talk extensively for him to arrange the alliance between the two kingdoms, but his father was sure that he would do fine on his own.

Uther merely swatted the air as he regarded the young prince with a look of greediness and, somewhat, of relief.

"Not at all. I admire a man who is eager to ensure peace. Let us begin then, shall we?" And as such, they began their discussion. Uther started by requesting some of their crops and medicine as well as the public announcement of their alliance to their neighboring kingdoms. Demand after demand was met with thoughtful but conceding eyes as Merlin saw no problem in providing them with what they needed. Uther was still unaware that Oridian's magical origins provided them with the means to gather more than enough for both kingdoms to thrive. Merlin simply made his father's wishes known to the monarch, and Uther agreed to them. Hours passed; Uther couldn't contain his grin as all of his demands were met. This alliance would benefit his kingdom indeed.

"I believe that is all we need to discuss, unless you wish to request something else?" Uther made sure to keep the younger man thinking that he was open to any of his request, not thinking that there would be anything more. However, Merlin's face shifted in such a way that even Uther noticed the change from the cheerful and oblivious man to that of his more wise and stoic side.

"Actually Sire, I'm glad you brought it up. I was hoping to discuss the matter of your son's safety."

At this, Uther's eyes immediately hardened at the prospect of his son being in any danger. "What do you mean?" He demanded, his tone taking on the familiar hardness that Merlin knew best. He would have to tread carefully now; one slip and his plan would completely fail.

Staring directly at him, Merlin began speaking, "While I was in his service as his manservant, I managed to see how often a magical beast or deadly poison threatened his life and yours without the two of you ever knowing. Gaius and I managed to drive away or eradicate those threats before they did any lasting damage. You could say that he did the research while I did the leg work." He wasn't really lying. Gaius truly was the one to guide him while he ventured out to fulfill the task he had given him. Closing his eyes, he prepared himself to plunge into a raw spot of the other royal. "It was a miracle that my people knew of an anti-venom against the questing beast's bite, or I fear that he would've been lost to us right then…" At this, Merlin saw Uther's eyes begin to lose some of their steel, only to be replaced with surprise, shock, and then gratitude.

"You saved him?" Merlin saw him remember those painful days. How Uther had found Gaius and Merlin standing over his son, the then-servant's own clothing barely hiding the scorch marks of the fireball that had struck his chest. Uther came to the conclusion that the boy had helped to cure his son, but without knowing the true nature of his injuries, he could only assume that the ingredients used to create the cure must have been dangerous to get to, and yet he young boy had still risked his life to save his son. He hoped that Gaius had found the time to heal the boy's wound once his son awakened.

He soon was brought out of his thoughts by the prince's voice answering his previous question. "Yes, Sire. And I was glad to do so." Merlin stated truthfully, and as if for the first time, Uther truly saw the loyalty this boy felt for his son. "But what I'm trying to say, You Majesty, is that I don't feel comfortable leaving your son without having someone by his side who knows of the constant threats he faces."

Merlin could only stare as the king's hand was clasped above his eyes, his posture for a second letting the worried father shine through the hardened façade of the monarch "I could assign him guards to stay by him at all times…" As soon as Uther suggested this he knew it would be useless. "…but Arthur, being who he is, wouldn't stand to be under constant supervision."

Merlin knew he had to speak at the moment where the monarch could see no other option. He let Uther think it over for a few minutes before he addressed him, "Then may I suggest something?"

Uther immediately gave him his undivided attention, knowing he would have the best at heart for his son.

"I, alongside two of my best knights, would gladly take the place as Arthur's protection detail." This seemed to surprise the king as his eyes widened ever so slightly in shock and surprise. "Arthur already feels comfortable around me, and he knows he can count on me to watch his back, not to mention defend his people if the need arise." Anthea and Eldwin had volunteered to come to Camelot with him. He and Balinor had already explained to them his destiny and his ties with Camelot, how the future would be one of peace with Arthur's help and they were more than glad to help their young lord in his destiny.

"But what of your duties to your father back in your kingdom? Surely you don't expect me to believe that he would let you move back in Camelot to protect my son." Uther couldn't fathom the thought of a father reuniting with his son after so many years to only let him go, but his questions were answered when the young prince shook his head in reply.

"Of course not. I still have a duty to my people, and one day I will have to take my father's place at the throne. However I've explained to him my reasoning to my wanting to remain by your son's side." As Merlin said this, his gaze fell upon the nearby window as a flock of birds passed by. His soul was calm and at peace with what needed to be done. He had his father's blessing as well as both his mother's love and support. He was ready to take charge of his part of his destiny and he was happy to help Arthur prepare for his.

"Why then?" Uther asked somewhat desperately, trying to understand. "Why do you insist that it be you who defends my son?"

Merlin simply gazed at him directly, and Uther couldn't help the small gasp of incredulity that escaped his lips at the sight of the boy's eyes. Such wisdom contained in such young eyes. Loyalty that could only be gained by years, if not decades, of service. Power only learned by years of war and loss of loved ones. For such powerful emotions to be coursing through a boy decades younger than himself brought a feeling of humbleness that he had never felt before.

"Because sire," Merlin's voice was soft, but to Uther it might as well have been shouted from the battlefields. "I believe in the kingdom your son will one day create." Seeing the confusion in Uther's face, the younger man explained "I believe your son will one day be able to unite every kingdom under one rule and the land will fall into a new time of peace and prosperity. And I am glad to be of help to him." With this, Merlin gave the monarch a bow in deference, as if what he said had been a bow towards him.

"But please bear in mind that whatever you choose will not affect our allegiance to Camelot, and I apologize if I spoke out of line." Merlin ended his thoughts with a show of submissiveness to ensure that Uther would see his way. It was the only way he could think of to maintain his princely duties as well as fulfill his destiny without much trouble. A moment passed before he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders.

"Prince Merlin," Uther stated gently, staring at the boy for what he felt was the first time, "it is I who should be apologizing." Noting Merlin's confusion, he continued as they both stood.

"You and your father have been more than generous, only asking of us assistance if you ever need it on the battlefield and our friendship, while you are giving me what I treasure most in my life. The safety of my son." He raised a hand for Merlin to shake. Slightly take aback by this, Merlin took his hand hesitantly as the other encased it with both of his. "I am grateful for your offer, and I will gladly accept your services."

A relief smile broke in Merlin face as his plan became a success. "Thank you, Sire. I am glad to be of service." As the two parted and began to walk out of the room, Merlin remembered something, "If it could be possible, Father was wondering if I me and the prince could visit Oridian for a few months during the year." He asked politely as the king watched him with small amusement, amazed how quickly he could change from wise to his somewhat childish persona. "Our kingdom is a ways north, but it is not so far that either one of us would be too isolated to be reached at any point if either one of is needed. My father is curious to meet those who have become part of my family, I'm afraid." At this, Merlin couldn't help the small wince as he remembered when Hunith told him that she had already met his friends. His father had started to sulk and immediately demanded that he bring his friends to the kingdom when he came back.

Uther smiled kindly and nodded, "Of course, it would no doubt strengthen our ties with your kingdom. Then am I to assume you are to stay here first?"

At his question, Merlin bowed briefly and replied. "If your majesty will have me."

Uther merely shook his head in amazement as he patted his shoulder slightly, throwing the younger man slightly off balance. "Nonsense, my boy. You will always be welcome in Camelot!" Seeing the small smile in his face, Uther couldn't help but have a little fun with the youth. "But keep in mind; you are going to be the one to tell Arthur of your little arrangement…" As soon as he said this, Merlin stopped in the middle of the corridor as Uther kept walking forward. And if he heard the boy curse his fate in a language that would even make their most hardened knights blush, well he wouldn't be the one to berate him.

* * *

"Do you think he's coming back soon?" Morgana asked in a too cheerful tone as she watched Arthur work on the papers at his desk. "I really wished he could have told us he was going so soon. I'm still curious about what he told us about Oridian, aren't you Arthur?"

"Would you **_please_** be quiet already? I have enough work as it is without your **_constant_** chatter!"

At his acidic tone, Morgana narrowed her eyes. He had been like this ever since Merlin had gone away. She just knew that something important had happened in the forest, but he stubbornly refused to talk. So, ever since then she had made it her mission to keep him in line as Merlin had done when he was there. And she had to admit, it was a lot of fun. "My, aren't **_we_** a bit **_touchy_** this morning," she chided playfully as she pointed accusingly at him. "Just because you refuse to mention what happened last month doesn't mean that the rest of us will automatically sulk right along with you."

She only had to wait a few seconds before Arthur completely gave up on the papers and turned to look at her. "I am **_not_** sulking!" His shout made Gwen jump from her place beside Morgana with a handful of tunics that she had been mending all morning. Arthur's temper was as bad as ever with every new servant he got so Gwen had offered her services while he calmed his mind. The three of them had become almost inseparable so as to help Gwen with her load of work, although Arthur was adamant to reduce her load of work to only that of which he had no knowledge of.

Morgana's eyes softened slightly as she stared at him, "You know, it's ok to miss him."

At this, Arthur glared at her in reply. "Oh **_please_**!" He scoffed as he gestured at his door. "I wouldn't care if right this **_second_** that lanky **_idiot_** were to open that door with those **_ridiculous_** ears of his and -"

"And you would jump from joy at seeing me grace your room with my presence!" The three people inside could feel themselves turning immediately at the all too familiar sound of their friend's voice. Merlin entered the room swiftly as a playful grin remained on his face. He had heard Arthur's screaming responses from the outside, and he just couldn't help but poke fun at him. "I mean really, Arthur, did a sorcerer attacked your room with a mini tornado while I was gone?" He asked offhandedly as he took stock of the disarray of the room.

"**_Mer_**lin?" He heard Arthur exclaimed in disbelief as he saw the other two approaching eagerly.

"Merlin, you're back!" Gwen exclaimed cheerfully, remembering the prince's dislike of others using his title. She gave him a hug that she felt him return with equal force.

"Will you be staying long?" Morgana asked next as she hugged him gently. Merlin's grin seemed to only get bigger at this.

Merlin decided to take the perfect opportunity to tell them the news. "Yes, actually. I just finished talking with Uther about Oridian's alliance with Camelot, and I managed to convince the king to let me and Arthur travel between both our kingdoms from time to time." Merlin said quickly. "Long story short, I'll just resume what I did for you before this whole mess started!" At their slightly shocked and amused looks, he pointed at Arthur and made his big reveal,

"I'll keep saving your arse, of **_course_**!" At his statement the other merely rolled their eyes in amusement, glad to have his antics back. "I've officially become your personal bodyguard! Gods know how much trouble you get into every week!"

At this, something in Arthur finally began to stir. The fact that his servant-turned-prince had come back after so many secrets had been discovered he could deal with. The fact that his best friend had magic he could thankfully deal with after many nights spent chatting with Gaius. But the fact his father had agreed to the ridiculous idea of **_Mer_**lin becoming his bodyguard he would most definitely not accept! Merlin may become an incredibly powerful and wise warlock of legend, but for now he was still the same bumbling idiot that stumbled into his life all those years ago. His mind made up, Arthur began to make his way to the idiot before him.

"Uhm… W-what are you-" Merlin began to stutter as Arthur approached him menacingly. His hopes of his friends providing cover soon feel apart as Morgana quickly pulled Gwen and herself away from the two boys, as she was well aware of what was about to happen.

As soon as Arthur was within distance, he immediately put the younger prince's head in a headlock as he began to rub his fist on his mop of head. "Protecting **_me_**? **_You're_** one to **_talk_**!" He stated briskly as he continued to hold Merlin, despite his squirming, skinny frame. "Do you have **_any_** idea of how many times I saved **_your_** arse in battle? If I wasn't right beside you I'm certain that you would trip and fall on your **_sword_**!"

"Arthur, you **_prat_**!" He heard Merlin shout at him. "Quit it!"

"**_Make_** me!" And if the two were aware of the two ladies laughing on the bed, they definitely didn't care to notice; they two much too focused on proving who needed saving more.

THE END

* * *

_Me: Yay! It is complete! I feel so accomplished! :D And SEE! Long little chapter, isn't it. I told you 10 chapters would be enough for this! So haHA!_

_"w" *strokes fake French mustache in victory*_

_But before you all kill me, let me just make some things clear._

_1) The reason it took for me so long to post this was because my Beta got hit by a car as she was walking across the crosswalk! So you can't get mad! Especially after she won 5TH PLACE AT HARRY POTTER TRIVIA OUT OF 61 TEAMS!_

_2) This… Was a pain to write… The first draft with the original dialog was lost in the virus. Then I re-wrote it. Then I had to RE-re-write it because it seemed wrong somehow… This wasn't even the original ending for Camelot's sake! I originally had it planned so that Uther did a big celebration in which he tried to convince Merlin to marry Morgana and then he politely decline. Then Uther talk to Arthur and Morgana and told him of what happened getting Morgana all flustered and appalled while Arthur went to search for his friend. Big dramatic talk between the two and then it ended but… *shrugs* Meh. I find it more refreshing this way._

_3) Merlin's arm brace… Yes, that really WAS the thing that was inside the chest back in Camelot. And I know those who guessed it was the crown I told that they were right when they really weren't… Well, you can all blame DragonGem777 … She made such a valid point in that a crown wouldn't really make sense if it was taken out of the kingdom. And from there, the ancient artifact was born! I don't know, I kind of like it… (And just to be clear! I came up with that idea BEFORE I saw the last Harry Potter movies! I've never read the bloody books so don't go and start accusing me of copying the resurrection stone idea!)_

_I just really want to tell you all, **THANK you** for reading this little experiment of mine. It truly means the world to me when I read all your wonderful reviews! And I sincerely apologize for the incredible delay._

_As an afterthought… My birthday was this 26th so if you want to give me a great present, then write me the most awesome and amazing review you can! Hell! If you give me ideas on how to write a sequel for this I would love to write one for you all! My Beta oh so **subtly** hinted at some stuff I could so so she already got the ball rolling!_

_**NEWS FOR UPCOMING STORIES**_

_Me: *clears throat as I address my kingdom from my throne* My people and ever so threatening knights, it is with great pleasure *mutters* and a bit of foreboding… That I will now decree the next stories I will be posting my cyber kingdom! Take in mind, this time I will be working on more than one story at a time._

_First off, as I have taken the task of finishing **"USS Chimera or USS Puppy?"** I have determined that the story will have about 3 to 4 more chapters so those who are interested in it; please make sure to keep a look out for it._

_Next we have a couple of 'Merlin' stories._

_**MULTICHAPTERED**_

_"Crystal Trials" Next in my destiny series_

_"A Warlock's Heart" My BAMF Merlin fic_

_"Excalibur's Curse" AU from 3x13_

_**ONE SHOTS**_

_"Enchantment's Betrayal" AU from 3x10_

_"To Live Again" Future fic_

_Plus a few more from other different fandoms. So yeah, I thinks thats all... I want to thank you all again for sticking by me and giving this story so much love! **I love you all!**_

_**...**_

_**AND IS ANYONE ELSE HYPERVENTILATING AFTER WATCHING THE COMIC-CON TRAILER OF MERLIN"S FOURTH SEASON? BECAUSE I AM!**_


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